A Change of Heart
by kurokochii
Summary: HIATUS
1. Chapter 1: Natsume Hyuuga

**Disclaimer: **The characters here are owned by Higuchi Tachibana-sama.  
><strong>AN:** I am so sorry I haven't updated much! Junior year is just so tough. I've been studying most of the time. Anyway, I've rewritten all my stories except for the oneshots (I'm still thinking whether or not I should rewrite them too). So, this is the new version/ rewritten version of "You will be Mine". I changed some of the scenes and also the characters. But I think you'd find it good or at least, improved. I vow to find more time to write stories and update them. For the mean time, I hope you'd enjoy reading this fic. Sorry for the errors! Didn't have time to proofread. R&R please! Bye~ see you in the next chappie!

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter One: Natsume Hyuuga<strong>

_ "They're sheep, following the herd. They vote for the so-called popular people because it's simple. Surface beauty: blonde hair, blue eyes"-she was looking at me-"is always easy to recognize. But if someone is braver, stronger, smarter, that's harder to see." –Kendra Hilferty from Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

_Ring. Ring. Ring. _  
>A girl of fifteen awoke at the startling ring of her phone. She sat up, groaned, and answered the call.<p>

"Hello?_" _she croaked, squinting her hazelnut eyes in the daylight and scratching her head which disheveled her auburn hair even more.

"Mikan, it's Anna," the caller paused and the brunette could feel the hesitation in her voice. She was about to speak up and tell the caller to go on when the voice spoke again in a rush, "I'm really sorry to interrupt you especially on your day-off but there's a bit of a problem here. You see, one of the waitresses caught a flue last night and couldn't go to work today so we're lacking staff and—"

"It's fine, Anna," Anna was cut short by Mikan who stretched and reluctantly got off her bed, "I'll be there in a few minutes," Mikan added.

"Mikan, I'm so sorry—"Anna tried to explain but was interrupted yet again.

"It's _fine_, Anna. No need to fuss," Mikan replied in what she hoped was a kind manner.

"Thank you, Mikan! Oh, such a great friend, you are!" Anna exclaimed cheerfully and Mikan was satisfied to hear her friend in high spirits again.

"Sure, see you in a bit," and she hung up.

-;-

Mikan Sakura walked the busy roads of Hogsville- a city where you could find buildings, towers, cafés, night clubs, and the like from here and there. She passed by the tall and wide gates leading to Alice Academy- an elite school for the wealthy and intellectual people-where she currently goes to as a junior.

"Hey, Mikan!" a slim young lady with curly bubble-gum pink hair and astonishing blue eyes greeted gaily the moment Mikan stepped into the small café and sniffed the aroma of Cappuccino and strawberry cakes.

"Hey," Mikan replied, smiling faintly as she looked around the place. There was a table filled with a bunch of Alice Academy high school students who were laughing boisterously at a rather ludicrous joke. Another table was occupied by an old couple who were chattering quietly about the unruly behavior of kids nowadays. On the third table, three teenage girls were giggling and glancing at the table where the high school students were settled. And a quiet, indifferent girl who had short, pitch black hair and alluring purple eyes and whose skin was as white and as fragile-looking as porcelain, was seated on the last table located at the far corner of the café. She paid no attention to her surroundings and was deeply engaged on whatever she was typing on her silver and lilac laptop.

"Imai's been quite busy lately. Says she has this important work to finish. Have you any idea what it is?" Anna asked conversationally as her eyes followed Mikan's gaze.

"Reckon it's a new invention or something. Well, she did mention the other day that some company was willing to pay her _anything_ just to get her working under them," replied Mikan as they walked side by side towards the staff room, Mikan towering over Anna by an inch.

"And she turned them down, didn't she?" asked Anna even though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, and that's the fifth offer she turned down this week. What a waste, if you ask me. If she accepted, she'd be swimming in gold by now," Mikan answered as she opened her locker and got her uniform out which includes an orange blouse, a black skirt and a white apron with frills at the edges.

"But if she did accept the offer, you'd rarely see your best friend, wouldn't you?" said Anna who was watching Mikan with a concerned expression. Mikan went inside the changing room.

"I can manage. I mean, if she really wants to meet me, I'd be always on the go. Besides, Hotaru's not the talkative type so I guess there's not much to miss, is there?" responded Mikan but her voice was slightly muffled and Anna guessed that she was pulling off her white shirt with a bear's head printed on it.

"No, I s'pose not," smiled Anna.

"So, who's sick today?" asked Mikan who was eager to keep the conversation going.

"Oh, it's Nonoko. She says she caught the flu from Yuu Tobita, you know him, don't you? The smart guy with glasses?" Mikan gave a muffled yes and Anna continued, "They were working on their Chemistry project together in the library yesterday and Nonoko swore she heard Yuu cough once. I asked Nonoko how can she be so sure when she only heard him cough once. She told me Yuu was maybe hiding the fact that he's sick from her. Anyway, Nonoko's temperature was so high last night that it worried her parents to the core. They thought she had a fatal disease or something," Anna stopped as Mikan went out of the changing room, her brown hair more messed up than ever.

"Lucky she didn't catch anything lethal," Mikan replied as she placed her folded clothes inside her locker, "though I still hope she'd get well soon. Exams are coming and I need all the help I can get in Chemistry," she added as she closed her locker and brushed her hair.

Anna chuckled. "She's going to be fine. She told me she's feeling better after a good night's sleep. She'd heal up in no time," she said. "Oh, I forgot. D'you remember Mizumi-chan?" she blurted out suddenly.

"Yeah, she resigned the other day, didn't she? I didn't like her much myself. Nasty little brat, that girl is," said Mikan harshly as she recalled Mizumi's insults and cruel laughter.

"Me either. If only we weren't that desperate for staff that time then I wouldn't have accepted her. It was like hell broke loose whenever she came here," Anna said in a regretful tone, "Anyway, I found a replacement," she added as they stopped behind the counter. A tall and fit lady with straight dark pink hair that stopped an inch below her shoulders and odd yet attractive amethyst eyes was attending to customers lined up in front of the cash register. Anna tapped her lightly on the shoulder. The girl turned around and greeted them.

"Hi, Anna," the girl said, smiling as she handed out change to a wealthy-looking irate woman.

"Hi, Misaki," Anna greeted back, "I'd like you to meet Mikan Sakura. She also works here," she added as she gestured her hand at Mikan. Mikan smiled politely. Then Anna gestured at Misaki while saying, "And this is Misaki Harada. She's our new employee. She also goes to Alice Academy with us, though as a senior."

"Really? Cool! Nice to meet you," Mikan said merrily as she put out her hand.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too," Misaki replied as she took Mikan's outstretched hand and shook it.

A loud roar of laughter erupted from the table of the high school students, disrupting the comfortable silence the café offers to its customers.

"Can you keep it down?" Anna reprimanded them but they did not listen. One even jumped on the table and imitated a monkey. He ended his representation by sticking his tongue out at Anna and the others. This got on Mikan's nerves and Anna, seeing that her friend was about to reach her boiling point and she knew the consequences when it happens, told Mikan to stay behind and let her handle this as the café's manager.

Not long after Anna left her, Mikan strode as fast as lightning towards the boisterous baboons for she heard Anna shriek, "Cut it out!"

"Let go of her, idiot," Mikan demanded furiously as she glared at the guy with sandy-brown hair and gray eyes who was currently gripping Anna's arm.

"How dare you call me an idiot!" the sandy-haired dude shouted at Mikan though his charmingly playful face did not give an impression that he was angry.

"You _are _an idiot, Koko. There's no point in denying it," a girl with green perms and had emeralds for eyes said casually. The others snickered. Koko scowled.

"Wow, thanks a lot," Koko replied with a rejected face, "anyway, Miss…?" he turned to Mikan.

"It's Mikan," Mikan replied, her glare unwavering.

"Right, Miss Mikan, your friend here told me that I looked more like a baboon than her and I wouldn't let that one slip so easily," Koko replied, throwing an offended look towards Anna who was still trying her best to liberate her arm from his tight grasp.

"Well, she wasn't lying," Mikan felt a sudden desire to laugh but knew better to restrain it. The others roared with laughter.

"Why you—" Koko was about to curse when a boy with tousled purplish black hair silenced him.

"Shut it, Koko," the boy, who was slouched on his seat, his feet on the table and his arms supporting his head, said then any noise coming from their table died out.

"You. Mikan, isn't it?" the boy asked, taking his shoes off the table which left black blots. Mikan looked from the table to him with a disgusted face and nodded slightly. "Oh, sorry 'bout that. Anyway, if you don't want this to happen again, tell your cute friend here"-he pointed at Anna who glared at him-"to watch her words. She should know better than to insult my friend in front of me."

Mikan looked at him disbelievingly, "So it's her fault now? Weren't you the ones who started acting like buffoons from the very beginning? Now, your friend deserves what he got and why do we care if you're here or not? Anna has a mind of her own. She does what she thinks is right. And, _you're not the boss of me_," she said bravely.

"You ugly little filth! You dare to speak to Natsume-sama like that! Shame on you!" the girl with green perms cried out in the boy's defense. Everyone in the room had turned their heads toward the commotion, holding their breaths as the scene unfolds in front of them, everyone except Hotaru Imai who simply stopped typing but seemed to be listening intently.

"So, I'm the 'ugly little filth' now, huh? What happened to 'Mikan-chan' or 'Mik'?" asked Mikan but she did not wait for an answer, "If there's anyone in this place that should be ashamed of herself, it's you, you dirty social climber. Leaving us-your true friends-and hanging out with these people instead because you think you'd get some of their popularity? Ingenious," Mikan said, rounding on the said girl.

"Can't move on from the past, can you? Still sulking that I left your loser of a group? You're just jealous, aren't you? Because _I_ can hang out with the coolest guys in school which I know you would die for," the girl with green perms retorted smugly.

"And by 'coolest' you mean-smokers, drunkards, and the dumbest people to walk the surface of the earth," Mikan said. Smugness was wiped off from the girl's face.

"Sharp tongue you've got. You'd do well by holding it," a deep voice inquired, drowning the girl's continuous shouts of insults and protests. Mikan turned and found herself in front of Natsume who was several inches taller than her.

"Sorry to disappoint you but no way in hell can you make me shut up," Mikan replied, craning her neck a bit to meet Natsume's crimson red eyes.

"Before I shut you up, I just want to ask, do you know who I am?" Natsume asked, moving forward until their foreheads touch the tiniest bit and gazed into Mikan's hazel orbs.

"It's Natsukini, isn't it?" Mikan answered, slightly trembling under Natsume's intent stare. The others who were still seated and were listening hard, stifled their laughter, "anyway, why would I know a stupid, arrogant, foul creature—"

Mikan was silenced by soft lips pressed against hers.

Natsume lifted his head and said with his deep, velvety voice, "I'm Natsume Hyuuga."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the plot.  
><strong>AN: **Hi! So, here's the next chapter. Sorry if it's a bit rushed though. I _had_ to publish a story. Well, R&R! :D Thank you!

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Two: The Bench under the Sakura Tree<strong>

"_Just because something is beautiful doesn't mean it's good." –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

"I hope you learned your lesson, Hyuuga," said a soft, monotonous voice over the line.

"Shut it, Imai," snapped a crimson-eyed lad as he ruffled his permanently messy hair in agitation.

"Admit it, Hyuuga. For once, your Casanova charms failed to enchant a girl," the soft voice continued and Natsume Hyuuga felt her smirk across the line. He gritted his teeth; he hated it when she's right.

"Just you wait, Imai. That big-mouthed woman would be mine soon," Natsume replied through his teeth, challenged.

"Don't make the same mistake twice, Hyuuga. She's not like the rest," the caller said before hanging up.

Then, Natsume Hyuuga rubbed his right cheek—the place where the brunette had slapped him hours ago in Anna Umenomiya's café.

-;-

_The Next Day at School_

Mikan Sakura was placing her books inside her bag from her locker when suddenly, someone _rude _slammed her locker close.

"What the-? Hey, what's the big idea, you bonehead?!" Mikan barked at the lad who was now leaning against her closed locker indifferently.

"Listen, you noisy pig, I'm giving you another chance," Natsume saw Mikan's mouth open to retort so he quickly continued, "if you go out with me then I might be nice enough to forget what you did yesterday. And if you won't, well, we'll get to that later. So, I need your answer."

"First of all, I am neither noisy nor a pig. Secondly, I don't regret giving you that slap because you darn well deserved it. Lastly, who would ever date someone as arrogant as you? "

"Every single girl in this school apart from you," Natsume declared condescendingly and smirked.

"Excuse me but Hotaru Imai's a girl and I don't see her ogle at you with such passion," Mikan replied.

"Imai's different," Natsume said robotically as he looked away. And Mikan saw, for the first time, his proud aura falter. Mikan raised a brow at him.

"Whatever. Now, would you get off my locker now? First period is going to start and I can't afford to get late," Mikan broke the silence first.

"So, you're not going to change your mind?" Natsume asked.

"No," Mikan said, now pushing Natsume's body away but he won't budge.

"I'm not usually nice like this, idiot, so if I were you I'd take the offer before something worse happens," Natsume replied, losing his patience.

"Do you have a dictionary?" Mikan asked out of the blue and Natsume was taken aback.

"What? Why? What for?"

"Use it and search for the word 'nice'. I think you've got the definition wrong," retorted Mikan as she carried her backpack and walked away.

"Oh, and one more thing, I'd rather kiss a sloppy frog than hook up with you," and she was off.

-;-

"_She_ rejected _you_?" Ruka Nogi, Natsume's childhood friend, says with disbelief. It was already recess time and Natsume just finished telling his tale to his friends in the cafeteria. He was seated at the left of the circular table, his best friend next to him, and playing with a can of soda. Koko chuckled upon hearing Ruka's (loud) comment which earned him a death glare from a pissed crimson-eyed lad.

"Yeah, she did. Saw it myself. _"I'd rather kiss a sloppy frog than hook up with you" _she said. What a laugh it was," another guy, wearing a jersey with a number 10 on it, stifled a laugh. The others murmured their thoughts to each other which annoyed Natsume.

"Better watch out for that frog, Hyuuga. It seems it'll have a more promising love life than you," Koko said but immediately regretted it when Natsume suddenly jumps from his seat and gets him by the collar.

"Just another damn word, Yome and my fist would meet your face," Natsume said harshly, his eyes intent on its prey. Koko tried hard not to tremble and instead, gnashed his teeth. Natsume let go of him after a few seconds and left with his fists clenched inside his pockets. Ruka followed his best friend, trying to convince him to apologize to Koko who was breathing unevenly.

"You just have to push his buttons all the time, huh," Mochu asked as he approached his friend.

"Nah, we could all use some entertainment. All this angst about girls is killing me," Koko replied lightly as he fixed his cerulean shirt.

"Koko, I'm not stupid. I can tell what's really happening," Mochu responded, his voice not more than a whisper. Koko didn't look surprised but something in his eyes showed that he wanted to avoid this topic at all costs.

"Can you really?" Koko replied jokingly but Mochu knew something's up and he's eager enough to figure it out.

"Stop it, Koko. It's not his fault," said Mochu. Koko furrowed his brows in annoyance.

"Shut up, Mochu. You don't know anything," Koko replied, his tone was cruel and reproachful; something very unusual for the so-called "comedian of the club". Koko walked off without another word.

-;-

"Natsume, Natsume! Hey, listen!" Ruka hollered as he tailed the young lad.

"What is it?" said Natsume, annoyed.

"You should apologize to Koko. I know he didn't mean it. He was just joking," Ruka reasoned out.

"I won't apologize, Ruka," Natsume replied, his voice was firm, indicating that he wasn't likely to change his mind.

"But—"

"—but nothing, Ruka. You heard me, I won't apologize. This conversation is over,"

"If you say so," Ruka's tone was obviously hurt and Natsume instantly felt a pang of guilt as he watched his friend retreat.

-;-

At the end of classes, Mikan headed for her usual bench. She used to sit there as a child and laugh all day with her dad, at least when he was still alive. Now, this bench under the Sakura tree was merely a place for her to rest when things get out of hand at home and a reminder that she still have some good memories left which she can hold onto during rough times.

But as she approached her bench, another person was already sitting on it. She scowled.

"What are you doing here?" Mikan asked rudely as she recognized the sandy-haired boy.

"Is it now illegal to sit on a bench?" Koko replied, his expression was surly and it was surely because of the incident earlier.

"Not really but you see, this is _my _bench you're sitting on," Mikan defended.

"I don't see your name on it," retorted Koko.

"That's because it's written in invisible ink," Mikan adjusted her shoulder bag.

"Are you attempting to be funny? Because it's really not funny, Mikan," Koko said, his lips curving upwards despite the anger he feels inside.

"Glad you still know my name. Now, will you scoot over so I could sit down?" Koko half-heartedly moved to the other side while Mikan occupied the other.

There was a long period of awkward silence and Mikan was the first to break it.

"So," Mikan hesitated for a moment then continued, "What's up?"

"What d'you mean, 'what's up'?" Koko answered, still upset.

"I mean, it's a bit weird for you to be alone here right now. You're usually out with your friends, laughing, drinking, partying, or whatever. So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," replied Koko, turning his face away from Mikan.

"It's fine if you don't want to spill. It's not like it's so important," Mikan snapped. Koko gave a snort.

"You know, you're the least person I'd expect to be down in the dumps," Mikan said, "with all those smiles and that."

"Well, you can't expect me to be in high spirits all year round," Koko replied, the anger slowly leaving his body, "I get problems too, no matter how many smiles I show."

"Now, you totally changed my view about you. At first, I thought you were just a stupid jerk who can't even think for his own good. But now, I think there's a lot more in you than those idiotic comments. You're still a jerk, though," Mikan said, smiling.

"It would've sounded so much better if you left out the jerk part," Koko laughed, feeling nothing more than the bliss of being with a friend. It was this that he needed, the comforting feeling of a friend. A friend he barely knew yet he felt like he'd known for ages.

"That's better, isn't it?" Mikan sighed, "When I get problems, I just laugh. It feels better than brooding over it."

"Yeah, it helps. Thanks," Koko replied as a sudden thought hit him, "and about that time in the café, I—"

"It's fine," Mikan said, "I've talked to Anna. She said you apologized. It's good enough for me. But I still think you're so stupid to do that."

"Be that as it may, I was just having fun," Koko answered.

"You guys are so childish," Mikan replied while Koko mouthed a _'Whatever'_ at her.

"Hey, can I call you Mik?"

"Mik? Why?"

"Since you're now my best friend and I give nicknames to my best friends?" said Koko.

"Best friend? We've only talked for what, thirty minutes and I'm already your best friend?" Mikan asked; her tone full of doubt.

"Doesn't matter how long we've talked. What matters is what I felt while we're talking. It's like you're my long lost sister or something. I'm comfortable talking with you," Koko answered. His face was slightly embarrassed.

"Well, same," Koko smiled at this, "but don't call me 'Mik'."

"What, you prefer 'Kan'?" Koko chortled.

"No. I prefer 'Mikan', thank you very much," Mikan answered.

"Fine with me," Koko shrugged, "bye, Mikan. I think my mom's expecting me home early today."Mikan nodded. Then, he stood up, waved and smiled at Mikan, and left.

Mikan stared after him until his figure disappeared. She looks up and sees rose-pink petals raining down on her.

Suddenly, the bench weighed heavier in Mikan's heart. Her and her father's laughter filled her ears once more as she reminisced those times they had shared together under this Sakura tree for the last time. Because she knew she won't be looking back at those past memories again for a long time but rather, expecting more happy moments with her newfound friend.

**Chapter 3:**

"_What are you planning, Natsume?" Ruka asks, his face covered in anxiety._

"_What are you worried about, Ruka? I'm just giving her what she asked for," Natsume replied, his devilish grin plastered on his lips. _

_And Ruka knew, without a doubt, that Mikan's in big trouble. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything except the plot.  
><strong>AN: **I AM SO SORRY. I haven't updated any story for like a month already OTL. So, I hope you'll like this chapter, hihi I've been busy fangirling so yeah. Anyway, R&R! :D

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Three: Mikan and Mr. Bean<strong>

_Kyle Kingsbury: "I was just…thinking."_

_Kendra Hilferty: "That must have been quite an experience for you."  
>–Beastly by Alex Flinn<em>

-;-

"What are you up to, Hyuuga?" the same caller asked as our crimson-eyed lad ruffled his black tresses.

"What's it to you?" he snapped back as he plopped noisily down the couch.

"She's _my _best friend, idiot. If anything happens to her, I swear I'll—"

"Yeah, I get it. Stop nagging, will you? It's just a small prank. She'll live after it," he replied, resignedly.

"Make sure she does or I'll get your head for it," she threatened, clearly unhappy for the fact that her best friend would be the subject of Natsume Hyuuga's newest joke and that he just cut her off a minute ago.

"Hey, you don't—" he was about to retort when the other end hung up, "Dammit, Imai."

-;-

"Mikaaaan!" Nonoko Ogasawara, Mikan's classmate who has straight midnight blue hair and outstanding grades in Chemistry, greeted as soon as Mikan stepped into their classroom.

"Nonoko! Glad you're up and about again," Mikan, who was caught in surprise, said with a wide grin.

"Yup. Now, we can pull your grades up in Chem. What grade did you get this quarter?" she asked. Mikan's grin faded and was replaced with an uncomfortable smile.

"80," she muttered. Nonoko's mouth formed a thin line then a smile; she knew that as a scholar, Mikan should get an average above 85. She knows this because she is a scholar herself. She's been studying at Alice Academy since grade school and because of her outstanding grades, she was promised a full high school scholarship. She was also working at Anna's café to help out at her house.

"It's not that bad. We can still pull it up," Nonoko encouraged. Mikan's grin returned and they parted as they went to their own seats at the sound of the morning bell.

"Hey, idiot," an all too familiar voice called out. At first, Mikan didn't respond but when she felt something hit her head, she turned around instantly and was shocked to see_ the_ Natsume Hyuuga sitting calmly behind her with his feet on his desk. He smirked at her.

Instead of talking to him, Mikan turned to ask her seatmate, Anna.

"What's that prat doing in here? Isn't he in the other section?" she whispered to her.

"Didn't you know? The principal decided to transfer him to our section yesterday so he's going to be our classmate starting today until March. Nobody knows why he got transferred though," Anna replied. She leaned closer to Mikan's ear and continued with a much softer voice, "rumors say that he's here because no other section wants him or should I say, no other _adviser_ can handle him. Only Naru-sensei was up for the job."

Mikan gave her a nod of thanks as she leaned back and started to think. _We're going to be classmates…starting today…until March. What the hell was the principal thinking? No, no. It's Naru-sensei's fault. Why does he have to concern himself with this devil incarnate? This just makes my life a hundred times harder_, she thought.

Natsume, who was furious at the fact that he was ignored, crumpled a paper and threw it at the back of her head again, pulling her away from her thoughts.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"Come with me after school," he replied, or more like commanded.

"No," she said flatly, turning back around.

"Why the hell not?" he insisted.

"Because unlike you, I have a life," she replied dully, her back facing him. The guy chuckled to himself. _So stubborn just like she said, _he thought.

"I guess you prefer to be annoyed all day then. We're classmates now anyway," Natsume said.

"What the bloody hell do you get in annoying me, Hyuuga?" she asked, turning to face Natsume.

"Entertainment. Your face looks cute when you're angry," he joked.

"Oh yeah? Well, get prepared, Hyuuga. I'm about to get freaking gorgeous," Mikan replied sarcastically.

"Calm down, babe," he said seductively. Mikan gave him an appalled look.

"Ew. _Do not call me that, Natsume Hyuuga or I'll personally kill you,_" she said threateningly.

"Then come with me after school," he said.

"No."

"HEY, BA—" he was cut off by Mikan's hand on his mouth.

"Shh. Fine. I'll go with you. Just this once," she replied grudgingly. He smirked and licked her hand slightly. She quickly withdrew her hand and wiped it on her skirt with a grossed out look.

"Ew. Just ew. Don't ever do that again, Hyuuga or else," she glared at him.

"Meet me by the lockers at three," he said, stood up and walked off towards the door.

"Hey, where are you going, idiot? Class is about to start," she called out to him.

He just waved her off which annoyed her more.

"Arrogant jerk," she muttered. _What's with him today? He's so irritable yesterday and now, he's a bit lighter, I guess. Oh well, not important anyway, _she thought and put out her notebook as the teacher came in.

-;-

_Meanwhile, somewhere in the school yard_

"Are they ready?" a voice asked.

"They've been ready to jump since yesterday," another voice answered.

"Good," the first voice grinned impishly, "Mikan Sakura will never see it coming."

"Hey, are you really sure about this?" a new voice inquired. This one was filled with anxiety.

"Yeah, she's the one who said she'd like this more than Hyuuga anyway. Why?" the first voice replied.

"Nothing," the anxious voice responded and kept silent.

"Haha! I hope she'd enjoy kissing this icky thing," another voice said mischievously.

"No shit. Mikan's in trouble," whispered someone to another on the phone.

-;-

_After classes, 3:00 pm_

"Where the hell is that idiot?" Mikan asked impatiently as she shifted her weight from her left foot to her right and adjusted her backpack.

"Sorry, have you been waiting long?" a voice asked from behind. Mikan turned with a straight face.

"Drop the stupid façade and let's get down to business. What do you want?" she demanded.

Natsume chuckled, "What? I'm being _nice _to you and this is what I get?"

"You being nice is way abnormal," Mikan said.

"Whatever," Natsume rolled his eyes and said, "Anyway, I got you something." He held out a glittery pink box with a girly ribbon on top. Mikan stared at it with wide eyes.

"What is that scary thing?" she asked for the box reminded her of Dolores Umbridge, that one character from Harry Potter that she'd be glad to kill anytime.

"What, don't you like pink? Girls _love _pink or they should _at least_ like it," he shrugged.

"Are you implying something?" Mikan asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I'm just say—"

"Whatever. Let's get this over with. Give me that box," she said, grabbing the box from Natsume's hands.

She shook it slightly and heard soft, low sounds. She immediately hesitated opening it but dared not to show her uncertainty to Mr. Bighead who was staring at her with so much interest. She gulped and opened the box. And it all happened so fast: a scream was heard all through the hallways. She fainted at what she saw, her body quickly falling on the ground. He moved swiftly and she fell over him. The shiny box dropped, people were screaming for the box contained—

"FROGS!" another student who witnessed the scene ran at the sight of big, fat, ugly frogs jumping out of the overly glittered package. Everyone avoided them and Natsume, who was earlier laughing his butt off, was now lying flat on the floor with an unconscious Mikan over him. He cursed and expressed how much unexpected this has gotten.

-;-

"What did you do to her?" Hotaru asked angrily, her eyes glaring daggers at Natsume. They were outside the school clinic where Mikan was brought to after the frog incident.

"Frogs," Natsume replied offhandedly.

"_Frogs?_ Hyuuga, you told me it was just a simple prank!"

"Well, it _was_! Who in the world would faint just because of frogs?!"

Hotaru pointed her thumb at the clinic door indicating, _Mikan, duh._

"True but—"

"She has a phobia for frogs or any amphibian," Hotaru said in a low and serious tone.

"What?" was all Natsume could say for he was left speechless.

"When she was younger, she used to watch Mr. Bean all the time and she used to drag me with her—it's not funny, Hyuuga," she glared at him when she heard him stifle a laugh.

"Anyway, there was this episode wherein Mr. Bean got a lot of frog eggs from a lake and brought them home. He raised them in his bathtub until the time came where the frogs got out of hand. They took over his house and he had to get rid of them. Mikan got traumatized after watching that show, especially after the last part where the frog had its tongue wrapped around Bean's nose. Now, whenever she sees a frog, she thinks as if the frog would chase her and wrap its tongue around her nose too," Hotaru explained in her usual soft and monotone voice, "I know it's stupid but what can we expect? It's Mikan we're talking about here."

"That's hilarious but for the sake of the situation, I'm not going to laugh," he replied, though his eyes twinkled with hilarity.

"Well, how do you plan to make up to her?" Hotaru asked.

"Make it up to her?"

"Of course, if you want to get her as your girl otherwise, I win the bet and you owe me five hundred bucks and a picture of you in women's clothing," she replied, her majestic purple eyes expressing interest.

"Give me more time. She'll be mine, bit by bit."

-;-

**A/N: **Hope you guys liked it! *sigh* If only life was like fanfictions. Aww, I'm fangirling and I can't, ugh, well, if you're a fangirl, you'd know that feeling when your feels attack you and you just sit there grinning and growing redder than a tomato. Anywaaaaay, I'm being too talkative. Haha, guys! R&R, yeah? I'll make up for my late updates, I promise!  
>Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the great feedback! I really appreciate them. Really, thank you!<br>See you guys in the next chapter, yeah?


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **The characters are solely owned by Higuchi Tachibana-sama.  
><strong>AN: **Hello, hello! Hmm, see? I'm making up to my late updates, ahaha. Anyway, (and yes, I've noticed that I love to say that word very much) hope you like this chappie. Oh, yeah, er, Mikan in my story isn't that bubbly girl in the anime/manga. She's a little bubbly here, yes but she has a very tough side especially when it involves the campus heartthrob, Natsume Hyuuga. So, I'm sorry if it's late but yeah, beware of OOC lines and stuff. Anyway, about Mikan and Hotaru's relationship-they're best friends so they're close. It's just that Hotaru isn't very expressive about what she feels. Mikan, on the other hand, is more mature here so there's not much, "Hotaruuuu~" and bear hugs. But I assure you, they're best friends. Next is, Natsume and Hotaru's relationship. This I cannot tell yet. Hahaha, if I told you then the story'd be spoiled. Hmm, just a hint then, they're blood relatives. Does Mikan know about this? No, she doesn't. That's why this would be one of the shocks she'd get in the ending. Well, I guess that's all? This is getting too long now, haha. Just PM me if you want to ask me something about the story or, you could pose a question in your review. I'd be happy to give a reply :D Thank you! R&R, please! xox

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Four: Cupid's Missed Arrow<strong>

"_I love you, I thought. But I didn't say it. It was not that I feared she would laugh in my face. She was far too kind for that. My fear was a greater one— that she won't say it back." –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

Bright lights greeted her as she slowly opened her eyes, revealing beautiful hazel orbs.

"Mikan!" Anna was the first to notice and the others quickly went beside her.

"Thank God, you're alive. We thought it was something serious," Nonoko joined in.

"Mikan. I called Auntie. She said she'd pick you up in an hour," Hotaru said. Mikan nodded and thanked her with a wide smile. "Thanks," she said.

"MI-CHAN, I HAVE BEEN SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU," Koko burst into the room and jumped on Mikan's bed. Mikan groaned, both at the fact that Koko's on her bed and at the annoying nickname.

"Dude, the hell's with 'Mi-chan'?" Mochu, Koko's friend who gave him that call, followed him inside and stayed beside Nonoko.

"Her new nickname. So unless you give me a better one, I'm sticking with that," he replied with a grin, "so, how you feeling, Mi-chan?" he asked. Mikan puffed her cheeks in irritation and blew her bangs.

"I'm fine, Koko. How'd you know I'm here?" she asked.

"People who get _pranked _end up in the clinic, don't they?" Koko replied.

"Usually. Which reminds me, where's that little devil?" Mikan said, sitting up as her eyes scanned the spacious room.

"You mean me?" a voice from a far end said in an innocent tone.

"Yes, you. Who else would it be?" Mikan rolled her eyes. Natsume shrugged and stood up.

"Nice to see you here, Yome," Natsume said lowly as he strode forward.

"Well, I'm afraid I can't say the same to you, Natsume," Koko replied, not making eye contact as he climbed down the clinic bed.

"If you'd like, we can settle this outside, " Natsume replied, his crimson eyes glowing dangerously.

"Natsume," Mochu said, indicating for Natsume to stop provoking the other.

Koko ignored Natsume and bent over Mikan.

"I think I can't stay long anymore. You should take care of yourself, Mi-chan. Bye," he said kindly and smiled before walking off.

A hand on his shoulder prevented him from taking another step closer to the exit. Anna and Nonoko gasped. Mikan watched with shocked eyes as the scene unfolds before her. Hotaru kept her calm. Koko was staring straight ahead; no emotions could be traced on his young face. Mochu was wishing for both of his friends to reconcile.

"Natsume, stop this," Mochu's voice cracked.

"Hotaru, what's happening?" Mikan asked with a scared tone.

"Hyuuga," Hotaru said in a commanding tone. After seconds of contemplation, Natsume dropped his hand and Koko retreated with Mochu from the room.

"What was that all about?" Mikan blurted. Natsume, who was looking down, turned his back on her and was walking away when she shouted, "Natsume Hyuuga, don't you dare turn your back on me!"

"Step out of this, you don't need to know!" he shouted back.

"He's my friend too, I demand to know!" she snapped.

"You'll just make it worse!" he replied. These words stung Mikan and brought tears in her eyes.

"Get out," she said, looking down as her tears cascaded down her face.

"Look, I didn't mean to—"

"I said get out!"

All of them got out, ushered by Hotaru who claimed that it was better if Mikan was left alone for a few minutes.

Anna and Nonoko were the first to go while Hotaru and Natsume talked.

"By the rate you're going, it'll take you years before you finally own her heart," Hotaru started.

"I didn't mean to offend her earlier—"

"Point is, you did," Hotaru interjected, "two offenses in one day. You think that's cool?"

"I never intended to hurt her. Things just get out of hand at times—"

"Yeah, just like your temper. Might want to fix that, Hyuuga."

"I'm working on it. But that girl, she's pushing my buttons, always so stubborn. I—"

"I told you from the very beginning, she's not like the rest."

"Yes, she isn't like the rest. She's stubborn as hell. Always loud, always—"

"She's stubborn which means, you've got to tell her about Koko."

"No way."

"Hyuuga, she deserves to know. Koko and her, I don't know how it happened but Mikan seems closer to Koko compared to you who have known him since kindergarten."

"You're exaggerating," he said.

"I'm not. I got pictures of them under the Sakura tree, where they first had a real conversation. At recess and lunch, Koko's also with her."

"What can she do about this mess? Nothing, right? It's not like she can solve it with one wave of her hand."

"You'd be surprised," Hotaru smirked and started to retreat.

"Imai, fine. _You_ tell her," Natsume said as Hotaru stopped on her steps.

"No, you should be the one to tell her."

"How do you suppose that could happen after all I did?"

"Use your brain if you have one," Hotaru replied, "Mikan's mom would arrive in thirty minutes. I could pull off another thirty which gives you an hour to talk."

"I get it," Natsume sighed.

"And Hyuuga, your temper," and with that she's off.

-;-

"Hey," he started awkwardly. She plainly ignored him and raised her book higher.

"Just listen to me, okay?" Still no response but he continued, "Koko and I had a misunderstanding. He thought I was stealing his girl from him when in reality, the girl's the one clinging on me. Now, he's ignoring me or whatever just because of that. I tried to talk to him, provoke him, just so he'd know the truth. I want to bash his face so hard just to let him feel what it feels to lose a longtime friend," his voice almost cracked at the end.

"So this started just because of some damn girl? Pathetic," Mikan said behind her book.

"You don't understand. Koko's loved her for more than ten years already but hasn't confessed yet. She's important to him," he said in a soft tone.

"Then why don't you just stay away from the girl?"

"What do you think I've been doing for ten years? Sleeping in a bag? Of course, I did that. But I can't help it if I'm exceptionally attractive," he said.

"Puh-lease. I'd rather—" she started to retort, putting down her book.

"Kiss a snake, hug an elephant, date a salamander, what?" Natsume cut her off.

"I'd take the elephant gratefully," Mikan replied with a disgusted face.

Natsume chuckled, "about earlier—"

"What?"

"Sorry."

"_What?_"

"I said sorry."

"Aw, your ears are red," Mikan said and giggled. He doesn't know why but her laugh made him smile a little inside.

"I know about your fear of frogs," Natsume said. It was Mikan's time to blush.

"You-! That box, I—"

"Yeah, that's why I'm sorry. I didn't know," Natsume said as he watched her face glow brighter.

"Did Hotaru tell you?" she asked. He nodded, biting his lip to suppress a laugh.

"Did she also tell you about, you know, how it started?" she said, in a very soft and rather ashamed voice. He nodded again. This time, he burst out laughing. She didn't know why but seeing Natsume Hyuuga laugh like that, so light and happy, which was rare by the way, made her stomach churn and she felt a smile creeping up to her lips.

"Stop it. It's not funny," she said.

"Fine," he said, grinning. Mikan rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh! By the way, why were you in our class today? Shouldn't you be in another section?" she asked.

"Don't you like it? I'll be a lot closer to you," he said, leaning towards Mikan, who continued to move back.

"No, it's creepy. You're creepy," she said, staring deep into his pools of red. He smirked, still moving closer until Natsume's frame trapped her on the bed.

"Natsume Hyuuga, what the hell are you doing?" she said, avoiding his eyes as her hands pushed him away.

"Didn't you say you'd rather kiss a frog or hug an elephant than hook up with me?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, I did," she answered, still not making any eye contact.

"Are you sure you don't like me? Even the slightest bit?" he arched a brow and leaned closer.

"A hundred percent sure," she said firmly.

"Then why does your heart beat so fast?"

"Uh," she began to panic.

"And why are you blushing?"

"I, uh, it's because—"

He smirked.

"Hey, just get off of me," Mikan retorted.

"What if I don't want to?"

"Stop being a pest and get off," she answered.

He chuckled lightly at Mikan's red face. He moved in a little closer until they were inches apart. Mikan got the feeling that she was about to get kissed. She bit her lip which really bothered Natsume.

"Don't think I'm giving up on you, Sakura. I'm still going after you," he declared. Mikan flushed brighter and remained frozen on her place as Natsume touched his forehead on hers, for a better eye contact.

"Cupid never missed his arrows. You got hit, Sakura. You just keep denying it," he said in his deep voice, "You'll be mine, Mikan Sakura."

He withdrew his head and walked off.

"Meet me under the Sakura Tree after school tomorrow. We'll find a solution to Koko's problem," he shouted before closing the door.

"I got…hit?" Mikan asked herself dubiously..

-;-

**A/N: **Aww, Mikan's too dumb to realize it? Really, Natsume. Anyway, hope ya like this chappie! Mehehe, I know it's kinda rushed. It's like 1 am when I did this. Haha, I still have to study for my test though. Bye! R&R, yay! See you~


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **The characters are owned by Higuchi Tachibana. I only own the plot.  
><strong>AN: **So, uh, I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while but…yeah, I hope you like thiiiis! Hmm, I'm reading a new series, by the way. It's The Heroes of Olympus and gosh, it's so cool! I won't mind being a demigod one of these days. Anyway, R&R please?!

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Five: Road Trip<strong>

"_Well, I had one that I was playing Quidditch the other night," said Ron, screwing up his face in an effort to remember. "What do you think that means?"  
>"Probably that you're going to be eaten by a giant marshmallow or something," said Harry, turning the pages of <em>_The Dream Oracle__ without interest." –Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling_

-;-

"What's that jerk playing at, talking about getting hit by arrows. What, he's studying archery now?" Mikan muttered crossly. She was standing at the counter, clad in an orange blouse and black skirt-her uniform-and gripping a rag. She reluctantly wiped the counter top.

She was supposed to meet Natsume Hyuuga today but chose to go to work instead. Although she knew she might regret it after because apparently, Natsume Hyuuga isn't one to let go of being ditched that easily.

"Ugh, that annoying freak," she muttered again and a voice coughed behind her back, making her jump.

"What're you mumbling at, Sakura?" Hiroshi Umenomiya, Anna's older brother and co-manager of the café, said in a curious tone. Mikan had grown a liking to this guy; he always has a kind and cheery aura around him. Aside from that, he's always been a big brother for her.

"Nothing," Mikan said in a high-pitched voice, obviously lying.

"Nothing, she says," he grinned but knew not to push it, "Well? That counter wouldn't clean itself now, would it? Chop, chop!" he clapped his hands as he said the last two words with a toothy smile then turned to leave.

Mikan smiled. Her back still turned to the counter, unaware of an irritated customer.

"Why the hell did you ditch me?" a deep voice said irritably, getting Mikan's attention. She turned and gripped the rag in her hand more tightly.

"Oh, it's just you," she said indifferently then continued to wipe the counter, "Are you just going to stand there or what? Time is ticking, Hyuuga so unless you're here to eat, you can leave. I have things to attend to," she finished, still not looking straight into his eyes.

"Hey, I'm the one who got ditched here," he reasoned out, "You have no right to get angry."

"Let me just point out that _you_ have no right to tell me when I could be angry or not," Mikan retorted, wiping glasses this time, "Also, I have work. Unlike you, I need to earn, Hyuuga so leave me alone. You're disrupting my progress."

"This is why I hate poor people," Natsume said under his breath as he turned away and ruffled his hair in frustration. He faced the counter again but she was gone.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Just come with me," he said when she emerged from the staff room. She purposely ignored him.

"You're a pain, you are," he said as Mikan walked in front of him and arranged some utensils inside the drawer. She faced him and smiled tauntingly as if saying, _I'm glad you've finally realized it._

Natsume sighed heavily and said, "I guess I don't have a choice. What with you being difficult and all that."

For the first time, Mikan replied, fear evident in her tone, "What do you mean?"

Natsume jumped over the counter while Mikan rushed to the other side. He walked towards her. She grabbed whatever she could and threw it at him while saying, "Don't come near me."

Unfortunately for Natsume, she threw a dirty rag at his face. He removed the disgraceful thing from his face and replaced it on the top of the counter. He glared at her and said, "You are _so _dead, Sakura."

He rushed towards her and carried her on his shoulder. Mikan looked appalled. He started to walk away with an enraged Mikan cursing on his shoulder. She caught a glimpse of Hiroshi laughing and one thought ran inside her mind: This is just so embarrassing. She needs to get down now or suffer public humiliation.

"WHAT ARE YOU—"she started, but Natsume shushed her. He would have gone blind if she shouted because his ear was just a few inches away from her loud mouth. She started squirming, being more difficult than ever but Natsume hit her butt and she instantly shut off. He felt her heart beating faster and smirked.

"Squirm again if you like, I don't mind," he said jokingly. Mikan glared as they exited the shop.

"Shut up, where are you taking me?" she demanded.

"My place," he replied nonchalantly as he placed her inside his red sports car which was parked outside the café.

"Why?"

"Just shut up, Mikan," he said as he got in.

"Well, I have the right to know where I'll be taken to—" she replied as Natsume started the engine.

"Mikan, shut up or I'll put a sock inside your mouth," he threatened as he maneuvered the car.

Afraid that the sock might stink, she silenced herself.

"Put your seatbelt on," he reminded her and she obeyed. They drove in silence for minutes until Mikan fell asleep.

-;-

She was dreaming, she realized.

She was inside a forest. Tall trees prevented the passage of the sun's rays, causing the forest to be cold and dark. Desperate for warmth, she started forward. She hardly took three steps when she heard the sound of twigs breaking somewhere north. She froze on her spot. Holding her breath, her eyes widened when a blinding white stallion came into view. It moved towards her. Its coat was so white that she actually thought it was glowing. Its mane moved in sync with the wind. She was momentarily stunned.

It went towards her and she hesitantly put her hand on its nose, patting it. She smiled. The stallion whinnied. She laughed. Just then, the stallion changed. It turned into a vicious white tiger and leaped on her. She slammed on the ground with the tiger caging her small frame. She could see the madness in its blue eyes. This, this was evil. The tiger opened its mouth, framed with jagged teeth. _One bite and I'm done_, she thought. The beast neared its razor-sharp cutters and Mikan closed her eyes, preparing to be devoured by a wild animal when all of a sudden, a voice echoed through the woods.

"Mikan, Mikan," it said. It sounded familiar.

"Mikan, wake up. Hey!" it called again, pulling her successfully out of that horrible dream.

She woke up with her eyes wide, sweat all over her face and a scream stuck in her throat.

"You, you were dreaming. I didn't know what to—" she turned and saw Natsume, sweaty as her and something in his expression told Mikan that he's been panicking too. Maybe she was talking in her sleep or worse, screaming. Her gaze moved to his hands and she realized he was holding a towel and a bottle of water. He saw what she was looking at and said, "Yeah, I guess you'd want a drink."

He moved closer and handed her the water and towel saying, "You might want to wipe your face too. You look gross."

"Speak for yourself. You're sweating too. What've you been doing to wake me up? Doing push-ups? Psh," she replied as she drank water. Natsume had the sudden urge to push that towel inside her mouth. Instead, he replied, "Tch."

"Are we already here?" she asked after emptying the bottle.

"Nope, I had to pull over. The look on your face scared me. It's like you're having diarrhea or something."

"You're disgusting," Mikan replied with a sour face. Natsume shrugged and moved to the back. He pulled out an extra white shirt from a bag and returned to Mikan's side. He started to remove his shirt and Mikan gaped at him in surprise.

"What the hell are you doing, Hyuuga?" she asked, looking away awkwardly.

"The sweat's sticky. Plus I stink," he replied. His shirt was off, revealing six-pack abs. He smirked at Mikan who was fiddling with the end of her skirt.

"What are you smirking at, Hyuuga? Quickly put your darn shirt on and let's go," she said, giving Natsume a glare for half a second then looked away again.

"Such a waste, this is. Lots of women would _die _just to be in your shoes right now, little girl," he said, flaunting his muscles.

"Yeah, yeah, you might want to marry yourself too," she retorted, "Hyuuga, if you're not so busy then will you just—" she turned, assuming that Natsume had worn his shirt already but he, well, just hadn't.

"Oh my gosh, I think I've gone blind," Mikan said, covering her eyes the moment they saw his chiseled chest.

"What? Told you it was too much for any girl to take," Natsume smirked proudly as he slipped into his shirt.

"No," Mikan replied, peeking through her fingers,"You look hideous. Much worse than I thought."

"You've got to be kidding me," Natsume said, getting in the driver's seat.

"Hate to break it to you, Hyuuga but I'm dead serious. Your charms won't work on me," she said, smirking.

"This is the reason why I doubt you're a girl," Natsume retorted as the car revved and pulled out of the parking space and into the main road.

"Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I have to fall head over heels for a worthless, airheaded, muscleman such as yourself," she declared.

"Come again?" he replied, turning his eyes on Mikan. His expression was hard to read. Mikan didn't know if he was angry or what but one thing's for sure, this guy's completely mental.

"Are you barking mad?! Keep your eyes on the road, you dope!" Mikan panicked. Natsume was suppressing a laugh, as if their lives were just a piece of joke. What if they got hit by a truck? She'd love to see him laugh then.

"If you want to die, don't drag me with you! I still have dreams, you know," Mikan continued to panic, alternately turning to look at the road then at Natsume's amused expression.

Natsume averted his gaze from Mikan and back on the road, amusement still etched on his face.

"We won't die, sunshine. Not yet," he said, stirring the wheel with ease. Mikan scowled at him in reply.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, Mikan asked, "Are we there yet?"

"Nearly there," he replied, obviously as bored as her.

"Why are you taking me there again?"

"Because we're going to find out a solution for that dumb Koko's problem," he said.

"Just the two of us?" Mikan hesitantly asked. She didn't want to be alone with this jerk.

"Nope. Imai and the others are there already," Natsume turned again on Mikan with a playful smirk, "But if you want, we can make rearrangements."

"You wish," Mikan replied snobbishly, turning away and looking at the view from her window.

"Eh, you're boring today, little girl," he replied but Mikan ignored him. She just rested her head on the window and entertained herself with the views. There's trees-yes a lot of them, then there's a very wide field with a big barnyard. Scattered on the field were different farm animals: cows, sheep, horses, ducks, and pigs. This gave Mikan an impression that they weren't in the city anymore.

"Mind if I ask why it has to be_ your _place?" Mikan asked, still looking at the cows grazing on the grass.

"Everyone agreed on it. Besides, it's a big house, our rest house. Bigger than anyone could provide," he replied proudly. Mikan rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, Hyuuga. Just let me know if we're near," Mikan said.

"Will do," he replied, "Oh, and don't go dozing off again. It wouldn't help me drive faster if you're going to give me that diarrhea look again."

"_Just shut up and drive, Hyuuga."_

**A/N:** So, yeah, Natsume's a bit bipolar, isn't he? Well, he needs to get the girl so endure, endure, endure. By the way, he's developing a soft spot for Mikan, see? So, you'd notice he's not all that grumpy at times. He's still a jerk to everyone though.

Anyway, thanks for reading! Mind leaving a review? It'll be very appreciated! You could also suggest things you'd like to happen because I think I'm experiencing an author's block or whatever block you call it. Well, that's all! Ja ne~

Yeah, about the quote. I forgot what book that came from. I think it's from the Prisoner of Azkaban but I still have to double check though.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _anything _but the plot.  
><strong>AN: **So, about the questions. In the previous chapter, Mikan said "Why are you taking me there _again?_" which means she's asking him again why because the first time she asked, Hyuuga didn't reply properly and told her to shut up and threatened her with a sock. And um, Mikan just met Hyuuga (or so she thought it was the first time she met him, hint hint ) so there. About the dream, you'll find out more in the next chapters Got any more questions? PM me or leave a review! I'd be glad to give a reply.  
>So, uh, I'm writing more fics but I'm afraid I won't post them until I finish this.<br>Btw, I finished Mark of Athena and it is darn good! Whoo, Team Leo for the win!  
>Anyways, R&amp;R people! Thank you so, so much!<p>

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Six: Discussions<strong>

_"Snape's Patronus was a doe," said Harry, "the same as my mother's, because he loved her for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children. You should have realized," he said as he saw Voldemort's nostrils flare, "he asked you to spare her life, didn't he?" –Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling_

-;-

"Whoa," Mikan breathed at the sight of a huge mansion.

In front of her were steel gateways with an elaborate 'H' embossed on each metal gate. The gates made way for the car and they sped through the driveway, passing by an elegant fountain. It was circular, depicting a shouting, armored man on a stallion with his sword up in the air; much like Jacques-Louis David's portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte on horseback. Water gushed out of the horse's mouth.

The engine stopped and they both got out of the car. Mikan can't help but appreciate the grandeur of the Hyuuga mansion; it was massive and looked much more like a museum outside than a rest house. It was painted white and the main entrance had columns on either side, having some sort of an extended roof above it. Mikan had to walk up three steps and another three to get pass the talk oak doors.

"Who lives here?" asked Mikan, looking around the house. The floor was marbled and the lights were dimmed and yellowish. The walls were decorated with all sorts of fancy paintings from different countries; a portrait of a samurai on a horse from Japan, the Great Wall of China, a town in Paris called Clichy, Machu Picchu in Peru, and many more others.

"Just the maids. Sometimes, I go here to relax," Natsume replied casually, walking up the grand staircase.

"_What?_ My whole family could live here and—" Mikan stopped midway when Natsume stopped and turned to face her with an amused look. He leaned back and crossed his arms.

"And?" he urged for her to continue.

"Well, I'm just wondering why no one really lives here. I mean, it's a huge house," Mikan replied, trying to look nonchalant.

"You could live here, if you want to," Natsume said, turning back and heading upstairs again.

"Thanks but no thanks. Hey, your parents? Why don't you stay with them here?" Mikan chattered guilelessly.

Natsume kept silent for a moment which made Mikan think twice about her question. Maybe this was a sensitive topic for him. "They're busy," he replied firmly.

"Oh," Mikan said in a small voice as Natsume left her near the stairs. She quickly followed behind him into a spacious room that seemed like a living room. There was a wide plasma television, velvet sofas, a small refrigerator, a round glass table at the middle and a shaggy carpet covering the smooth, wooden floor.

"Mikan!" Anna called out. She was sitting next to Mochu who was eating popcorn while watching Koko and another guy with the same hairstyle as him play video games.

"You came!" Nonoko greeted her. She was accompanied by a blonde lad with glasses who smiled at her politely. He must be Yuu Tobita.

"Hey, guys," Mikan greeted them back with a smile.

"Let me guess, you forced her into your car this morning, didn't you, Hyuuga?" a cold voice asked from one corner of the room. It was Hotaru. She was sitting on a table near the window. Opposite her, a blonde guy was seated; he was petting a white rabbit.

"How'd you know?" Mikan asked, the same time that Natsume rolled his eyes at Hotaru.

Hotaru just looked at Mikan with an expression that says _Duh, you airhead. I'm Hotaru Imai._

"Forget I asked that," Mikan replied after understanding what her best friend meant.

"Now that we're done with the dumb questions," Hotaru said, shooting a look at Mikan, "and our guest is here, I guess we could discuss the matter at hand," she finished as she closed her laptop.

Mikan sat next to Koko who had shut down the game and left the other one sitting on the floor and munching on some popcorn. Natsume sat on the couch opposite her since it was the only space left for him to sit. Nonoko was on the same sofa as Mikan and Yuu had to drag another chair beside her. Mochu and Anna were seated on one sofa with Natsume. Hotaru was in the same seat by the large window. Ruka also stayed on his seat opposite the blackmail queen.

"So, this is the situation. Yome likes Shouda—"

"—what? You like _Sumire_?" Mikan reacted. Koko's face flushed as he nodded his head a little.

"But she's so mean and—"

"Mikan, shut up," Hotaru hissed, obviously displeased for being cut off by Mikan earlier. Mikan mouthed a 'sorry' and zipped her mouth.

"So, Shouda likes Hyuuga," Hotaru made a disgusted look here, "and Hyuuga doesn't like her back. So, what are we gonna do to stop her from chasing after Hyuuga and go for Yome instead?"

"_Please. _She's annoying, I swear, especially her seaweed-like hair," Natsume said.

"Hey! I like seaweed," Koko responded, "so you really don't like her?"

"Dude, I'd rather turn gay than be with that crazy woman," Natsume replied and Mikan stifled a laugh.

"Fine. It's just that, I was afraid that you might fall for her or break her heart or something. That's why I was keeping myself distant; so I wouldn't have a hard time adjusting when you guys get together and leave me on my own," Koko confessed.

"You're so stupid," Natsume replied in his usual tone, "you're my best friend."

"You're mine too," Koko replied, touched.

"Alright, before this turns into a mushy bromance scene, let's talk about how to get rid of Sumire and hook her up with Koko," Mikan interrupts.

Hotaru smirked at Mikan, thinking _this is why we're best friends. _"Any suggestions?"

"I suggest that Hyuuga should pretend to be gay," Mikan raised her hand as she threw out her suggestion. Natsume looked at her with an alarmed expression.

"_What?_ No way," he replied, slouching back in his seat with his arms crossed stubbornly.

"Face it, Hyuuga, be gay or endure Sumire? It's your choice," Mikan replied, raising a proud brow.

Natsume narrowed his eyes on her. Hotaru smirked, "other suggestions?"

"Don't you think that if Natsume gets a girlfriend then maybe Sumire would stop chasing him?" Anna rose a point.

"Yeah, I agree. If Sumire finds out that he's with someone else, maybe she'd back off," Nonoko agreed with her best friend.

"I think so too, plus it wouldn't hurt Natsume's image in school," Yuu added.

"And Alice Academy isn't a gay school so if he were to pretend to be gay, he'd be bullied every day," Ruka joined in, concerned of what might happen to his childhood friend.

"I don't know, I'd _love _to see Natsume in a skirt though," the Koko look-alike, Kitsuneme, said jokingly and Natsume glared at him, "alright, I guess the second one's better since he won't kill me there."

"What about you, Mochu?" Hotaru asked the boy next to Anna.

"I'm with Anna on this one," he said then looked at Anna with a smile. Mikan knew what that meant. So did Natsume.

"Majority wins. Hyuuga has to find a girl to get Shouda off his back. Now, who's going to be that girl?" Hotaru said in her usual monotone voice then turned her eyes on Mikan. As if on cue, every head in the room turned to Mikan.

"What?" Mikan asked naively, "do I have something on my face?"

"Mikan, could you be Natsume's girlfriend?" Hotaru asked directly.

"_What?_" Mikan asked frantically. Natsume leaned forward on his seat and stared straight at Mikan.

"Please? Even just for a week or until Sumire finally stops chasing after Natsume?" Anna pleaded.

"But, why me?" Mikan asked them.

"Because you know the plan and you're the closest to Natsume?" Anna replied.

"And you're practically the only single girl left here," Nonoko added.

"What, really?"

"Yeah, I'm with Yuu now. He asked me out a few days ago," Nonoko replied, her cheeks tinted with pink as she looked down at the floor.

"I'm still courting Anna," Mochu said with a shy grin.

"Hotaru, don't tell me you're with—" Mikan was interrupted by Ruka.

"Y-yes. We're together," Ruka admitted after being shown a note by Hotaru saying, _Say yes or I will gladly show them your pictures with that oversized chicken of yours and you grinning like an idiot._

"_What?_" Mikan and Natsume chorused. Apparently, no one has informed them that their best friends were dating each other. "Since when?" Natsume asked.

"Since last week," Hotaru lied smoothly.

"I can't believe this," Mikan breathed.

"Please, Mikan?" Koko pleaded. He didn't call her by her nickname which made Mikan realize just how sincere his plea was. He really was in love. She saw the image of that sad boy in the bench that she met and compared it with the laughing and loud boy dancing around like a monkey in the café. She didn't want to see that sad boy forever. She wanted him to be happy.

"Alright," Mikan sighed, defeated, "I'll do it for you because I want you to be happy."

"Thank you, Mi-chan!" Koko thanked then hugged her. She hugged him back.

"Now that this is settled, why don't we go party in the pool? Last one out's a fat, ugly pig!" Kitsuneme shouted as he dashed for the door. Everyone followed with cheery faces. Natsume and Hotaru stayed behind.

"This doesn't count, Hyuuga. The bet was that you have to win her heart," Hotaru said lowly.

"I know, I know," Natsume said, dismissively.

"Hyuuga, win her heart. Make her fall in love with you," Hotaru said to Natsume who seemed distracted.

"What if she doesn't?" Natsume asked, "wait, forget I said that."

"You're unconfident; it's so unusual for you to be so uncertain of yourself. Tell me," Hotaru moved closer and whispered to him, "does Mikan Sakura make you nervous?"

"O-of course not! It's just that she's, it's just, it's because—"

"Hey, Nattie, where are your soft drinks?" Koko peeked in, wearing only his Hawaiian shorts.

Natsume glanced at Hotaru then walked off with Koko to get the drinks. Hotaru smirked.

"Hey, stop it!" Mikan screamed as Kitsuneme and the others splashed water on her. She was still in her casual clothes and sat by the edge of the pool, dipping her feet. She laughed when Koko jumped in with a big splash.

"Mikan, why don't you join in? The water's warm," Anna asked. She and Nonoko changed into their swimsuits which Mochu reminded them to bring yesterday.

"Yeah, it's so much fun!" Nonoko exclaimed as she slides down.

"I'm fine," Mikan smiled.

"Yeah, okay but we won't let you get out of here without getting wet," Koko replied teasingly, "guys, fire!" Then all the other boys raised their colorful water guns and aimed it at Mikan who began to panic and raise her feet from the water. But before she could finally get into the house, she was already soaking wet.

"Darn it, Koko," she cursed under her breath as she looked at her drenched clothes. She freed her auburn hair from the ponytail and twisted it to get the water out.

"I think you'll need this." Mikan turned suddenly and saw Natsume behind her holding out a clean bath towel.

"Yeah, thanks," Mikan accepted the towel gratefully. She began drying her hair with the towel.

Natsume tried hard not to look at her because obviously, her clothes were wet so her undergarments were showing. Her orange blouse was wet and her black bra was almost visible and she must have been shivering because she was only wearing a black pencil skirt.

Natsume must admit she had a great body; she had curves at the right places and her skin was smooth and pale but pinkish unlike her best friend's which was porcelain white.

"I'll be upstairs. Just tell the others if they need me," Natsume said after cutting off his gaze at Mikan.

"Sure," Mikan replied, still drying her hair with a towel, "oh, where's the bathroom?"

"Leftmost door on the second floor," Natsume replied, still walking his way upstairs.

"Right, thanks," Mikan shouted at his retreating back, thinking that an afternoon shower wasn't a really bad idea.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.  
><strong>AN: **Hi! Please try reading my other story, _The Master and His Maid_ and leave a review! Thanks so much~ R&R and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Sorry for the errors though.

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Seven: An Unexpected Visit<strong>

"_When you're a kid, they tell you that it's what's on the inside that counts. Looks don't matter. But that's not true. Guys like Phoebus in The Hunchback, or Dorian, or the old Kyle Kingsbury- they can be scumbags to women and still get away with it because they're good-looking. Being ugly is a kind of prisoner." –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

"Hey," Natsume started as he sat down next to Koko who was resting after a fun pool fight.

"Oh, how's it goin', man?" Koko said, who looked like he was pulled away from a deep thought.

"Am I disturbing you because you looked like you were thinking about something," Natsume responded, squinting his eyes a bit at his best friend.

"I was just thinking," Koko started so seriously that it got Natsume on edge, "would I eat a cheeseburger or a pizza?" he finished and laughed at Natsume's tensed expression. Natsume laughed with him.

"You got me there!" Natsume replied, punching Koko playfully on the shoulder and Koko made his '_I'm the man'_ expression.

"It's good to have you back," Natsume said sincerely, he raised his fist and Koko hit it with his own as he smiled and replied, "Yeah."

"So, when are you planning on telling her?" Natsume asked.

"I don't know. I don't even think I can," Koko said worriedly. Their conversation was interrupted by a shriek coming from the left wing of the building.

"_Aaahh!_" It was an annoying voice that Natsume would know anywhere. While everyone was frozen on their spot, he bolted for the door.

-;-

"_Hyuuga, how dare you!"_ Mikan exclaimed angrily as she continued to hit the guy with a bathroom dipper.

"_Whoa, wait a sec! _Hey—_ow—_that—_ouch_—hurts!" the guy moved backwards as he yelped in pain.

"_You deserve to be hurt, you foul, unreliable, dishonest perv—ah!" _

The guy hit his leg on the couch placed in the middle of the room causing him to fall backwards. Mikan abruptly followed. She fell on top of him and he groaned in pain as more weight crashed down his body.

Their eyes met as they heard nothing but each other's racing heartbeats.

"_Mikan!" _Natsume barged into the room; beads of sweat framed his worried face. He breathed heavily as he caught in the sight that was in front of him. "What are you—" he wanted to ask but was cut off by Mikan who hastily got off the guy with an equally confused face such as Natsume's.

"If you're Hyuuga," she said, pointing at Natsume, "then who _the hell _are you? Are you some kind of clone or something?" she said harshly, now addressing the guy who was sitting up on the couch.

"Actually, we're both Hyuugas," the boy on the couch replied casually.

"And unfortunately, he isn't a clone," Natsume continued as he shut the door behind him.

"But even if I were, I still think I'd be better than the original," the boy countered as he raised a full brow at Natsume's direction. Mikan can't help notice how painfully alike these two are. Even their attitudes are the same: _both egoistic and rude._

"Okay, before you start biting off each other's heads, can someone please explain to me why there are two Hyuugas? Because I can barely live with one already," Mikan intervened and the two Hyuugas turned to look at her.

"You are so stupid," Natsume told Mikan. Mikan gave him a _'huh'? _face and Natsume rubbed his aching temple.

"Hey, don't pick on a girl, brother. I mean, c'mon! Who would even think that we're twins? That's just ridiculous," the other Hyuuga replied sarcastically.

"Yeah, considering that we're the spitting image of each other. Which is annoying, by the way," Natsume bantered. His brother rolled his eyes at him.

"_Oh._ So, you guys are twins!" Mikan said a little too enthusiastically.

"I can't believe it took you so long to figure it out! I never met anyone as stupid as you in my entire life!" Natsume's brother said so excitedly that the insult passed as a compliment.

"You never told me you had a twin!" Mikan rounded on Natsume.

"I didn't think it was important," Natsume replied back, looking down.

"Ouch," the guy on the couch faked a cry.

"Which reminds me, what are you doing here, Natsuko?" Natsume turned to face his brother who was smiling at him widely.

"Mom told me to give you this," Natsuko replied as he pulled out a white envelope from his side pocket. Natsume stiffened at the news but immediately regained his composure and walked towards his brother.

Natsume reached out but Natsuko put it out of his reach.

"Of course, the travel from there to here was a bit…exhausting," Natsuko said with a knowing smile. Natsume understood this and heaved out a sigh as he took out his wallet and gave his brother five bucks.

"Make it ten," his brother ordered to which Natsume complied.

Natsuko happily handed the letter to Natsume and placed the money inside his pockets.

"_It was nice doing business with you,"_ Natsuko said in a desperate attempt to imitate an elderly business man. Mikan found this funny and she giggled a little. Natsuko heard this and winked at her playfully.

"Well, best be off," Natsuko said, stretching his muscular arms high up in the air and releasing a tired yawn, "phew, that trip was more exhausting than I thought. Well, until we meet again, mofos."

He stood up and walked coolly towards the door but before he went out, he said, "Oh, and Natsu, tell your girlfriend she has a nice ass," before sending another wink at Mikan followed by the loud closing of the oak wood doors.

"I can't believe you have a twin!" Mikan said, beaming.

"I can't believe you met him wearing nothing but a towel," Natsume grimaced as he turned to leave.

"Hey, wait—" Mikan called out but was stopped when Natsume turned back and pulled her into a kiss.

Mikan's eyes were wide at first but as the seconds passed by, she slowly closed them as she let herself succumb to Natsume's undeniable lips. Her mind went blank; she didn't know what she was doing anymore. Natsume put a hand on her cheek to keep her in place and another hand on her back, pulling her closer.

Natsume pulled away after a minute and let his forehead touch Mikan's. He looked deep within her caramel-colored orbs and whispered, "No one can touch that fine ass except for your boyfriend, do you hear me?"

Mikan fought back a blush, "excuse me, but I don't have a boyfriend."

"Yes, you do. You agreed earlier, didn't you?" Natsume disagreed, "Idiot."

"I'm not an idiot and that's just _pretend_, in case you've forgotten," Mikan bit back.

"Not for long," Natsume grinned mischievously as he turned his back on Mikan and walked to the door. "There's some extra clothes in the wardrobe, ask the maids if you need help. Dinner will be served after half an hour," he reminded before exiting, leaving a flustered Mikan inside the room.

"Why do I let him do that?" she asked herself before rummaging around for clothes.

-;-

Dinner was grand at the Hyuuga mansion; Mikan and her friends sat on a long table covered with a white cloth made of satin, on top of the table were gold plates and utensils, candles, and flowers. Many were awed by the food served to them; it looked like something that only a five-star restaurant could serve. Mikan can't believe how rich Natsume Hyuuga is. She looked at him from across the table; he was fiddling with his new iPhone5. Mikan rolled her eyes; she wasn't envious of his wealth, she was already accustomed to not having things like that but it pissed her off how much rich people are so wasteful with their money. Just think about how many kids could eat with that money spent on a single smartphone.

Of course being poor wasn't exactly what Mikan wanted. It wasn't her fault that her father died early because of a terminal disease and left them with a pile of debts to cover. It also wasn't her fault that her mother was crippled after that accident at the corner of Baker Street. But Mikan was the only one her mother depended on so she had to work hard. She studied hard and managed to get a full scholarship from Alice Academy; the school for the wealthy and powerful families, the school for people like Natsume Hyuuga. At first, she was against the idea; she claimed that she was "allergic to hypocritical suck-ups and money-obsessed cry-babies" but she eventually agreed, thinking that the worse thing they could do to her was maybe copy her geometry homework without permission.

At first, Mikan felt uncomfortable dealing with the rich and wealthy. They were always staring at her; checking out her not branded clothes, her secondhand backpack, cheap notebooks and pens. They knew she didn't belong with them. After the first semester though, they stopped staring and maybe got used to Mikan being there but it didn't mean that she was safe from their judgmental eyes. A few scornful looks would pass her way once or twice a week but Mikan didn't seem to mind.

It was Hotaru Imai that helped Mikan the most. Although she rarely even talked to her in class, it still comforted Mikan to have someone that she could trust by her side. You see, Mikan and Hotaru have known each other even before high school. They were childhood friends; both living in the same neighborhood when they were five. But they got separated for a few years when Hotaru moved away to study at a different school which was Alice Academy. Mikan was devastated but Hotaru promised that they'll see each other again.

And they did.

"How was dinner?" Natsume asked with an arrogant smirk while they walked towards the guest room where Mikan was staying in for the night. Mikan initially refused to stay in for the night and claimed that her mother would be worried but Mr. I-am-rich-and-powerful-bow-down-to-me told her to stop yapping since he already called her mother. Mikan was forced to sleep there for the night.

"Lavish," Mikan answered plainly, "the food was great, thanks."

"You know I was kind of hoping for a more positive response," Natsume stopped in front of a door with a golden knob and said, "Here's your key. Don't lose it, we ran out of duplicates."

"Maybe if you didn't get your hopes up, you won't get hurt," Mikan replied, "Right, thanks." She reached out for the key and opened her door. "Night, Hyuuga," she muttered before closing the door but it was stopped by Natsume's shoe.

"Hyuuga, what the—"

"What, no good night kiss?" Natsume teased as Mikan reopened the door with a hand on her hip.

"Let me think about it, hmm—no," Mikan said insolently, shutting the door with more force. Natsume yelped in pain.

"_My foot! That shit hurt, woman!" _Natsume continued to curse in pain as he looked down at his throbbing foot.

"If you just moved your bloody foot then maybe I wouldn't have squeezed it between the door and its frame!" Mikan snapped back.

Natsume only groaned in reply which worried Mikan. How much force did she really put into shutting that damn door that Natsume Hyuuga wasn't able to snap back at her?

Natsume leaned on the wall beside Mikan's door.

"Can you still walk?" Mikan asked, her temper slowly abating.

"Hopefully," Natsume replied, "man, for one so thin, you really have strong arms. I think I would have to undergo surgery if ever it was your fist that hit my face."

"Maybe I'd consider doing that next time," Mikan said, tempted by the idea, "just to shut you up and wipe that fat ass grin on your face."

"That would break a lot of hearts, sunshine," Natsume mocked, "would you really be that cruel to those girls who would surely miss this face?"

Mikan made a disgusted face, "Please. I see nothing desirable with _that_."

"Look who's talking," Natsume said, crossing his arms. The pain from his foot was long gone, "have you ever tried looking at yourself in the mirror? I don't think so because goodness knows that even your reflection's scared to see you."

Mikan opened her mouth and closed it again, absolutely insulted, "Oh really? If I didn't know better, it's you who haven't seen yourself in front of a mirror because you can't stand looking at yourself for a second without puking. Or at least that's what I feel whenever I see you."

Natsume raised an amused brow, "Just so you know, _this _is the face that girls everywhere would drop head over heels for. _This _is the face of the man in every girl's dreams. _This _is the face of the guy that got his locker clogged up with so many love confessions which he each rejected every single day."

"Don't be so proud of your looks, Hyuuga. Looks fade away," Mikan said, "and right now, you already have too little to spare."

Natsume chuckled, "You're unbelievable, seriously."

"Oh, did the truth bite your sorry ass? Not my fault, I'm not the one with an ego the size of an overgrown hippo," Mikan replied impishly.

"Sassy," Natsume said, "Just the way I like it."

"I always knew I had the talent for insulting people, especially creepy, self-righteous brats like you," Mikan bantered, "but lucky you, I'm doing this for free."

"How the hell did I become creepy?" Natsume asked.

"You knew my sizes when I haven't told you anything aside from my name and the fact that I despise you," she replied, gesturing at the clothes she was wearing. She wore a cute orange shirt with a bear printed on it and brown shorts. Natsume looked at her from top to bottom; taking in her appearance.

"It's not difficult to guess your sizes, you know. You could just grab anything from the kids' section and it would fit you perfectly," Natsume jeered. Mikan rolled her eyes at this.

"Ha-ha. If you were a clown, you'd get kicked out of the circus because your jokes are lame. It's even lamer than Twilight which we all know is the epitome of lame," Mikan said in reply.

"Shouldn't girls love that film?" Natsume asked.

"Stop generalizing women, Hyuuga," Mikan warned, "It won't do you any good." She remembered when he mentioned about how girls were supposed to love the color pink.

"You know, I always wonder why you keep calling me 'Hyuuga' instead of my given name. Only Imai does that," Natsume said, shifting the conversation to his taste buds.

"You know, I also wonder why you keep talking to me when it's clear that we both hate each other," Mikan responded, not answering the question.

"No, we don't," Natsume replied, side-tracked, "I know you like me. Deep inside that small chest of yours, I know you do."

"Do you want me to kick you in the balls, Hyuuga? Because that would really make my night," Mikan snapped, already raising her foot. Natsume backed away before anything wrong could happen.

"No thanks, I've had enough already," Natsume said, looking at his foot.

"Let that big ass foot be a reminder that if you mess with me again, my fist will meet your horrid face," Mikan said boldly.

"I can't believe you're talking to me like that after letting me kiss you earlier," Natsume replied and he knew he made her uncomfortable and he liked it. He liked making girls feel vulnerable in front of him.

But Mikan quickly responded with "Your face is making me drowsy. Good night and I hope the bed bugs bite every inch of your skin." She shut the door in front of Natsume's face.

_Typical, _Natsume thought, _she's still as stubborn as ever. _But he smiled at the thought that he was making progress. He knew that she was already getting uncomfortable with him and maybe after some more days, she'll let her guard down for him to enter. Eventually, he'll win the deal and

Mikan Sakura will be his.

Just like every single woman in the school.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.  
><strong>AN: **I don't understand why you're still reading this; I know it's pretty crappy but thank you for putting up with it. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews, they really mean so much to me. So, yeah, I'll follow all of your advices. Thank you so much and I hope you'll enjoy this one

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Eight: Mikan Sakura's Vow<strong>

"_I'm a girl. Every girl pretends she's a princess at one point, no matter how little her life is like that. And I like the idea of 'happily ever after." –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

_What's gotten into you, Mikan? _Mikan asked herself as she leaned her back on the door. She held her hand over her heart and felt it pounding inside her chest. She closed her eyes and huffed. _No. _She told herself as she opened her eyes and stared decidedly ahead. _You can't feel this. _She repeated. _You can't._

_You promised._

She decided to sleep it off and walked over to the queen-sized bed which she could not help but notice the opulence it exhibited. Back at home, she only slept on a single bed which creaked every time you lie on it. Its sheets had a few tiny holes and the pillow was not that comfortable. Of course, Mikan wasn't going to miss _that. _For now.

She experimentally plopped down the bed and smiled from ear to ear when it didn't creak like the one she had at home. She let herself lie down and be engulfed by the comfort of the mattress and the fragrance of cherry blossoms. Her eyelids were getting heavy when she shot up at a knock.

"Who is it?" she asked aloud while fixing her disheveled hair.

"The boogeyman," a playful voice answered from outside the room, "I've come to eat you."

"Make sure you brought some ketchup, I don't taste good without some," Mikan replied, "Koko, I know it's you, come in already."

"How'd you know it was me?" Koko asked as he entered the spacious room, "and why the hell is your room bigger than mine? I'm that asshole's best friend!"

"You've got to be kidding me," Mikan answered as she moved so Koko could sit beside her, "so, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"No, it's me who owes you. A lot, actually," Koko started as he sat down next to Mikan on her bed, "I know you can't stand Nattie—I can't stand that kid either when he's cranky—and I really, really appreciate what you're doing for me but if—"

"Koko, I'm gonna cut you off because I think I know where this is going," Mikan said with a smile, "I want to do this, Koko. You're my friend now and you have to understand that I want my friends to be happy. And if I have to see Hyuuga more often than what's healthy for me then so be it. Besides, I'm not just doing this for you. I'm also doing this for myself. I know that if I refuse to do it and just sit idly by, my conscience won't let me rest and I would have to wake up every day, thinking about the things I could have done. And you don't have to worry about me. That Hyuuga is no match for me; I'm one hell of a gal."

"And the coolest girl I had ever met," Koko praised as he pulled Mikan into a tight hug, "thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the best!"

"I can't breathe, Boogeyman," Mikan said jokingly and Koko pulled away with a huge grin.

"What could I do to repay you?" Koko asked and Mikan looked up in a thoughtful expression.

"Seeing you this happy again is enough," Mikan answered truthfully with a kind smile.

"Don't you go cheesy on me, Mimi-chan. I am treating you tomorrow," Koko replied, pinching Mikan's nose then running off towards the door chased by an irritated Mikan, "Hope ya like Chinese!" Koko shouted as he continued to run along the corridor.

Mikan smiled inwardly.

She walked back towards her bed and lied down. She closed her eyes but her thoughts kept her up. She lied there with her eyes wide open as she continued to debate with her subconscious mind.

_Why did you let him kiss you? TWICE? _**I don't know; both were unexpected, I didn't know what to do. Maybe I was just taken by surprise and—**

_What do you think you're doing? _**I'm not doing anything. I don't intend on doing anything with him.**

_What exactly are you feeling? For that guy? _**None. I don't feel anything towards him. **

_Liar._ **I'm not lying! I swear, it's true. **

_The way your heart beats uncontrollably when he comes near, the way your thoughts get jumbled up when he touches you, those butterflies inside your stomach when his lips touch yours…_

_It must __**mean**__ something. _**That's bullshit. I don't feel any of those things.**

_You keep lying to yourself, Mikan. _**How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not lying!**

_You're always punishing yourself. Why don't you just accept things the way they are? _**No.**

**No.**She repeated a little bit louder inside her head and mentally scolded herself for even thinking about these things.

_You're falling—_**No.****I can't. I'm not.****I'll never be.**

**And don't worry. Those kisses won't happen again. Never.**

Mikan desperately tried to shut her thoughts up but it only got worse. She did not want to think about these things. She did not want to feel these things anymore. She's had enough of it.

She knows how it feels like to love someone. But she also knows how it feels like to have someone break your heart at the same time. And once was enough.

She never wanted to fall in love with another because her heart was too scared to get hurt again.

It was a boy named Matt. He was a good-looking lad and he was Mikan's childhood friend. She met him after Hotaru moved away. It turns out that Matt's family bought the Imai's house and moved in. Matt and Mikan met and started to hang out. They had a lot in common; they both loved reading books and watching TV shows. He was there when Mikan graduated grade school and she was there to take care of him when he had the chicken pox. They bonded almost every day, reading Harry Potter over and over to each other or watching shows while exchanging popcorn. They were so close that they became inseparable; you won't find one without seeing the other tailing from behind. So, it's no surprise that Mikan fell deeply in love with him after four years of friendship. But she was too chicken to confess what she felt. She was so afraid that Matt won't reciprocate his feelings that she was willing to put her heart aside just to protect their friendship. Until the day came when Matt had to leave the country. They had no idea when they would see each other again; _if _they ever see each other again.

Mikan could still remember that day like it only happened yesterday.

"_Matt, you'll come see me again, right? You'll come back for me, right?" _a pretty brunette like our Mikan now but much younger and had her hair in ponytails said at the boy in front of her. Tears were threatening to fall from her pleading eyes as she looked at him in the eyes.

"_Please tell me you'll come back," _little Mikan tried again, tears freely falling down her desperate face. The boy was looking down.

"_I am so sorry, Mikan," _Matt said, finally looking up and meeting Mikan's gaze, "_please stop crying. Don't cry, please."_

Mikan fought back the sobs that wanted to escape her mouth and just tell him how much she hated this; how much she hated _him_. She wanted to ask him how could he do this to her, how could he make her fall in love with him then just leave her behind? How could he just abandon her when she could barely breathe without him by her side? How could he just say goodbye when she was already used to him being there, to him reading quotes to her, to him comforting her? How could he just throw everything away, every single thing they did for four years?

"_Hey, we're still going to see each other, okay? And maybe when I get back, I'm buying you more polka-dotted panties as a gift," _Matt said, trying to lighten up the mood but it didn't work. Mikan was still wiping her eyes but every time she wiped a tear, a new one replaces it.

"_I hate you. I hate you so much," _Mikan replied between sniffles.

"_And I love you," _Matt replied sincerely as he pulled her into an embrace, _"I'm gonna miss you, Mikan. So much."_

"_Don't. It hurts," _Mikan sobbed into his chest and Matt rubbed her back. He knew what she meant; he was feeling it too. The agony of being separated from the person you love; of not knowing whether or not you're going to see each other again in the future; of being pulled away from something you were so used to.

They held onto each other; listening to each other's heartbeats. And in that moment, Mikan both felt happiness and pain. She felt her heart breaking; but she also felt it happy to have found its rightful owner.

_Beep Beep! _The sound of the car made them jump and they pulled awkwardly away from each other.

"_Hey, Matt! We're leaving in five minutes, hurry up!" _Matt's mother called out angrily from the front seat.

"_Alright!" _Matt shouted back at his mother then turned back to Mikan. His expression softened.

"_I'm not saying goodbye to you," _he said to her.

"_Neither am I. We'll definitely see each other again," _Mikan said, smiling.

"_Definitely," _Matt reassured her as he kissed her on the forehead.

"_I'll wait for you, I promise," _Mikan swore as she gave him one last hug before he ran up to their car and disappeared from her line of sight.

Mikan didn't notice but tears were actually streaming down her face as she reminisced her past with Matt. She never talks about it with anyone; except Hotaru Imai. And she immediately wondered why she remembered Matt. _Oh, right. Natsume Hyuuga._

Mikan wasn't sure what she felt about him but she has one theory.

She badly misses Matt and maybe this affects her feelings towards Hyuuga who kind of reminds her of him. They had the same messy, jet-black hair and the rude but playful comments. But one thing's for sure: she will never be in love with Natsume Hyuuga.

Because he isn't Matt. And he will never be.

Two years had already passed without any news from Matt; no calls, no letters, nothing.

And she felt herself losing hope every day.

But she made a promise and she was going to hold onto it.

Until the end.

She knew she could never love anyone; not even Natsume Hyuuga.

**Because she swore to love nobody else.**

**A/N: **Ah, darn it. How could Natsume make her fall in love with him now when she's already in love with someone else?


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the plot.  
><strong>AN: **Thank you so much for reading! Please leave a review! Btw, I revised some stuff in this story so if you want to re-read, it'll be awesome. Thanks!

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Nine: Mothers<strong>

"_That's what true love should be like-the person should be part of your soul and you should know what they're feeling all the time.__" –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

"I can't believe I'm riding home with you," Mikan complained as she opened the door of Natsume's fiery red sports car.

"Just get in and shut your mouth or I'll make you walk your way home and trust me, it's going to be a _long _walk," Natsume retorted as he jumped in the driver's seat, "I bet you won't even reach town before sundown."

"I should have squeezed in with Koko and the others when I had the chance," Mikan muttered under her breath as she got in but unfortunately, the crimson-eyed lad heard it.

"And what? Those guys haven't even showered yet for Christ's sake," Natsume said as he started the engine.

"Which reminds me, why do we have to leave so early? I mean I can practically hear Nonoko complaining in her room earlier that she only had five minutes to get ready because you were _harassing _her," Mikan shot Natsume a pointed look as she questioned him.

"One, I wasn't harassing her and if I did, well, she wasn't the only one. Two, isn't there a saying "the early bird catches the worm"?" Natsume replied impassively.

"And what worm are you trying to catch today, Hyuuga? Oh, don't tell me you're after the McMuffins at McDonald's because the promo's already _expired_," Mikan replied smartly though she could tell that Natsume was not in the mood for a battle of wits with her today.

"Just shut up or I will seriously drop you off and make you go home on foot," Natsume threatened and Mikan busied herself with the view from her window.

Natsume kept his eyes on the road although his mind continues to go back on the phone call he received yesterday.

-;-

_Yesterday, 10:30 PM_

"_Natsume,_" his mother's voice was sharp and commanding. Natsume felt chills run down his spine just by her tone. He quickly closed the door behind him and sat down on his bed.

It took him seconds to find his voice.

"_Mother,_" he finally recovered. It's been a long time since they talked; ever since he refused to manage the company and went back here, his mother never called him nor returned his letters.

"_Your father's dying,_" she said. It was hard to tell for Natsume if she was alarmed or worried about his father's condition but his mother's expressions have always been a mystery to him anyway.

"_What?" _He replied. He imagined the last time he saw his father; so young and so carefree. It's been, what, three? Five years since he last saw him? He couldn't tell anymore.

"_He's been diagnosed with leukemia. He's been confined for nearly three months now," _his mother explained and Natsume felt himself on the verge of breaking down.

"_Natsume, I know it's hard for you; for both of you but I want you to know that I'm doing my best to save your father but his body isn't very…cooperative," _his mother droned on but Natsume isn't really listening anymore. His mind was so full of regrets, of memories of his father.

"_I want to see him,_" Natsume said decidedly, choking back tears.

"_I'll arrange a flight for you as soon as possible," _his mother replied and Natsume could tell she was smiling wickedly as she spoke the next words, "_on one condition." _

-;-

"Hyuuga…Hyuuga…._Natsume Hyuuga!_" Mikan's voice pulled Natsume out of his thoughts.

"What?" he replied irritably.

"I said your phone's ringing," Mikan snapped, "it's been ringing for three straight minutes, seriously, what is going on with you?"

"Just a little…distracted," Natsume replied as he tapped the 'answer' button and put it on loudspeaker.

"_Hey, you little lovebirds! Where are you?" _Koko's voice was heard over the loud speaker.

"We're nearing town, how about you guys?" Natsume spoke louder, drowning Mikan's protests of _"We're not lovebirds!"_

"_Ha! You slowpokes! We beat you to town! We're already resting our asses off in the town mall. You guys wanna join us?" _Koko said excitedly.

"Seriously? Just how fast were you driving?" Natsume asked, speeding up a bit.

"_Fast enough to outrun you! Although I did think I knocked out a dog or two along the way," _Koko replied bashfully followed by Mikan's "Koko? How could you!" but Koko immediately said, _"can't blame me. I can hardly manage driving while looking at the front view and side view mirrors; do you honestly expect me to look out for dogs too?"_

"Point taken," Mikan replied.

"_So, do you guys wanna come with? Or d'you want some 'alone time'?" _ Koko replied mischievously and Mikan could see him grinning from the other side of the line. They heard catcalls from the others.

"Actually, I have to get home early. I bet my mom's worried as hell," Mikan replied.

"And I have something important to attend to," Natsume replied bluntly.

"_You sure you guys aren't just making up excuses so you could go all touchy-touchy with each other? Because if you are, you know you could tell me. I could make up an excuse for the whole gang and just say—" _

"Koko!" both of them shouted at the caller in unison.

"_Alright, alright. Jeez, you both are so alike even if you deny it." _

-;-

"Um, thanks for taking me home," Mikan awkwardly thanked Natsume who was now standing by their doorway.

"No problem," he replied.

"Well, I guess I'll see you a—"

"Who's there?! Oh, Mikan dear, it's just you," Mikan's mother, Yuka, rolled in her wheelchair and greeted her daughter. She turned to face the visitor by their doorway, "Is that-? Oh, are you Natsume Hyuuga?"

"Yes," Natsume replied politely which Mikan found amusing.

Yuka laughed warmly, "Such a good-looking young man, you are!" Natsume laughed in response.

"Mom," Mikan interjected, obviously embarrassed, "you're going to make his head a lot bigger."

"Oh, now, don't be rude, missy," Yuka told her daughter. Natsume raised his brows at Mikan and smirked. Mikan glared at him.

"Come in, come in, Mr. Hyuuga," Yuka gestured for Natsume to enter then wheeled herself to follow him. Mikan was left to close the door as she heaved a sigh.

"I'm sorry this isn't as grand as—"

"No, no. It's not a problem at all," Natsume replied as he took in his surroundings. Mikan's house wasn't as big or as grand as his, that he expected but even if her house was even smaller than his entertainment room, it still was very likable; it radiated warmth from every corner. He looked at the pictures on the wall: Mikan in her toga, Mikan and her family smiling widely, Mikan when she was still a baby, Mikan at her seventh birthday, Mikan playing with Imai. He grinned when he spotted a picture of her wearing a polka-dotted one-piece swimsuit. She was so happy, throwing a ball at another guy. Wait, who is that? Natsume doesn't recognize him from any of the family pictures he saw earlier.

"Don't even think about it, Hyuuga," he heard a hiss from behind and turned to see Mikan who was glaring at him after following his gaze.

"Polka-dots? Really?" Natsume mocked her. Mikan rolled her eyes and disappeared into a room.

"Please make yourself comfortable," Yuka said hospitably as she rolled towards the kitchen.

Natsume observed their furniture as he sat down on a worn-out leather couch. The stuffing was coming out of the ripped corners which were stitched with green strings; Natsume wondered if they had a cat in the house. Opposite the couch he was sitting on was a television; not like his flat screen, HD TV back at home but good enough. A center table made of wood was placed just in front of him.

"Natsume dear, do you want some juice?" Yuka's voice asked from a small kitchen just beside a wooden table for three. Natsume stood up and approached her.

"No, Mrs. Sakura, I just ate. Thank you for the offer," Natsume replied. Mikan snorted as she came out of a door from his left. He guessed that it was her bedroom or something.

"Didn't you say you had to attend to something important?" Mikan asked him.

"Mikan, don't be rude, sweetie," Yuka said, as she glared at her daughter, although it didn't suit her kind face.

"No, it's true. I have a meeting with someone. It's very important," Natsume replied.

"I see," Yuka replied nicely, "but please visit us again when you have time, okay?"

"Sure," Natsume grinned, "thanks, Mrs. Sakura."

"Call me Yuka, dear. 'Mrs. Sakura' makes me feel really old," Yuka replied as she laughed again.

"Sure thing," Natsume smiled genuinely as he wondered how lucky Mikan is to have a mother like her.

"Alright, I'll walk you out," Mikan said.

"You make it sound like you're walking out a dog, sunshine," Natsume said as he turned to Mikan.

"Oh, do I?" Mikan faked a gasp, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you weren't one."

They continued to banter as Mikan walked him out of the door.

"I let you stay in my house, fed and clothed you and drove you home and this is what I get?" Natsume said, now standing by the doorway like he did earlier, "Talk about good manners."

"No one's asked you to do it," Mikan replied.

"Yeah, but I did."

Mikan huffed and crossed her arms, "okay, okay. Thank you so much, Mr. Hyuuga. I am so indebt with you. However do I repay such kindness you have shown?"

"Simple. Just keep your loud mouth shut and obey everything I say, get it?" Natsume said.

Mikan raised her brows in amusement and made a face that said _seriously? You think I'm gonna do that?_

"But I'm gonna miss our daily banter so just scratch that," Natsume said and Mikan cocked her head to the side as if saying _I'm listening._

"From now on, I want you to be honest with me at all times," Natsume said, staring straight into Mikan's eyes.

"Oh, that won't be a problem at all," Mikan said as she smiled confidently.

"Really," Natsume said, disbelievingly.

"Yeah, at least now I could tell you how much you suck in all honesty," Mikan replied. Natsume shook his head.

"I wasn't talking about that," Natsume said.

"Then what?" Mikan asked, confused.

"Your feelings," Natsume said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"My what now?"

"Have you gone deaf? I said your feelings."

"What about them?" Mikan asked.

"I want you to tell me if you're sad, happy, angry, whatever you're feeling," Natsume explained,

Leaning in closer as he said the words,

"_I want you, Mikan Sakura, to be honest with your feelings for me at all times._"


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything but the plot.  
><strong>AN: **Hey, guys! Please R&R! Thanks so much

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Ten: Confrontations <strong>

"_Those who do not see the precious things in life will never be happy." –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

"Hey."

Mikan stopped putting books inside her locker and closed it, finding a certain crimson-eyed lad leaning by the lockers, looking at her.

"What do you want, Hyuuga?" she asked tiredly as she walked her way towards her next class.

"You know, if you want anyone to believe that we're really dating, then we should do this more realistically," Natsume caught up with her and put an arm around her shoulders.

Mikan squirmed uncomfortably under his arm, "ugh."

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," he winked at her.

"I'm afraid not," Mikan muttered and spotted heads turning to look their way, "they're staring."

"Let them stare," Natsume said coolly and Mikan nudged his side, "ow, that was my ribcage—"

He followed Mikan's gaze and saw Sumire Shouda, standing with eyes wide and nose flared at the sight of them. They watched as she stomped her way towards them.

"Natsume," she purred, "What are you doing with that stinking woman?"

Mikan opened her mouth to retort but Natsume covered her mouth before she could speak up.

"She's my girlfriend," Natsume replied flatly.

"_Girlfriend? _Natsume darling, will you please pity that girl and stop joking?" Sumire replied, eyeing Mikan disdainfully.

"I'm not joking, Shouda. She's with me. I'm serious about her," Natsume said as a matter-of-factly.

"You can't be—I mean, that ape can't seriously be _your _girlfriend. I—"

"_Ouch!" _Natsume withdrew his hand sharply after getting bitten by Mikan.

"Face it, you seaweed-haired twat, he chose me and there's nothing you could do about it," Mikan spoke up. Natsume throwing her glares as he examined his injured hand.

"Don't be so confident, Sakura. I'm pretty sure he's just using you. You know, to get his homework done or to have someone scrub his toilet," Sumire countered.

"Why would he need me to do those things when he has you? I mean, who else would be perfect for the job besides you?" Mikan mocked, "I bet you have a lot of experience scrubbing public toilets, right?"

"Why you—" Sumire was about to pounce on Mikan, claws out and all when she was stopped by Koko's strong arms.

"I wouldn't let you do that, sweetheart. Mikan's face is too darn precious to get scratched," Koko said as he held a struggling Sumire. Mikan grinned at him.

"Let me go, idiot!" Sumire protested.

"No, you're creating a scene," Koko answered.

And she was; all the students who were just passing by had stopped to see what was going on. They were unconsciously forming a circle around the four; muttering words here and there.

"No, Koko. Let her speak. I bet she has a lot to say," Mikan said. Natsume, now finding it safe to stand beside Mikan again, wrapped an arm around her waist. But she stepped on his foot so he had to withdraw his arm again.

"Seriously, sunshine, you can't always physically hurt me whenever I try to touch you," he whispered in her ear.

"Blame it on my reflexes," Mikan answered, still keeping her eyes on Sumire.

"Here's the thing, sweetheart, you don't belong to him; not even here. You're just a poor, pathetic girl who always likes playing the nice card but inside there's a demonic bitch just waiting for her chance to get out," Sumire paused when Mikan spoke up.

"Well, I'm sorry if you missed the transformation, _sweetheart_," Mikan said, raising a brow as she crossed her arms, "but the demonic bitch is already out."

"I'm not finished," Sumire snapped as she rolled her eyes, "Oh, I forgot. They don't really have a concept of good manners with the poor. Wake up, miss goody two shoes, you don't suit him; you're not like him, or any of us. You just got in here because of some stupid scholarship 'cause you can't afford the tuition and now, you're trying to flirt with the hottest and most popular guy in school because you're thinking that if you let him in your pants, you could share some of his spotlight. But I hate to break it to you, sweet cheeks; he's just using you because there is no way in hell that he could get attracted to some dirtball from the streets. Because all you are is a big, fat, ugly attention-whore."

Everyone suppressed gasps and had surprised faces but Mikan kept her calm. She was no way in hell showing this people that Sumire's words affected her, no. She was stronger than that.

"Three things, miss I'm-so-rich-and-perfect," Mikan said, moving forward and raising three fingers in front of Sumire's face, "One," she held up a finger, "it's not a 'stupid' scholarship because duh, it's something that only intelligent people could get," she said then raised two fingers, "Two, I never asked to be his girlfriend or to study here. And mind you, he's the flirt in this relationship, not me," she then replaced it with three fingers, "Three, I don't need attention and if there's a whore between the two of us, it's you. Now, get out of my sight before I decide to shave your freaky green head, Medusa."

Sumire looked like she just swallowed the hottest pepper found in Mexico, "This isn't over, Sakura! I'll get him back! I always do in the end!" Then she exited with Koko following from behind.

"Handled that one pretty well," Natsume finally spoke up, "could I at least give you a congratulatory shake without getting my wrist twisted?"

Mikan chuckled, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it," then she winked at him the way he did earlier. She adjusted her backpack and skipped away to class, leaving a dumbfounded yet amused Natsume.

"Man, she is making me go crazy."

-;-

"Sumire! Hey, Sumire! Where are you going?" Koko asked aloud as he tried to catch up with Sumire's pace. She was leading him towards the school gardens with her face buried in her hands.

"Stop following me!" She cried. Koko felt his heart ache a little.

"I can't do that!" Koko replied, running twice as fast as he did before and finally catching up with Sumire. He patted her comfortingly on the shoulder and was surprised when she hugged him. He stiffened at first but then relaxed and started to rub her back as she continued to sob in his chest.

"I don't understand, why does everyone seem to hate me? Am I doing something wrong? Is wanting something good for yourself wrong? I just wanted someone to like me; someone who would tell me I'm pretty, who would hold me and kiss me. And I really thought Natsume would be that guy. And he just goes out and replaces me with some rat—"

"Sumire, do you really love Natsume?" Koko asked, although it almost broke his heart into pieces.

"Of course I do! Who wouldn't? I mean, he's the richest, hottest, most popular guy in school, he's the basketball team captain, once was a quarterback in the school's football team, has the highest grades in the male population; every girl would go head over heels for him!" Sumire replied, pulling away.

"What if Natsume didn't have all those things? What if he's just somebody common, like, like me? Would you still love him?" Koko asked again, fearing Sumire's answer.

"Honestly, I don't know. I would say yes, I want to but I'm not entirely sure."

"What do you mean?"

"I—okay. But I don't want you to judge me, okay?" Sumire started and Koko nodded in agreement. "At first, I wanted Natsume because I thought that if I were his girlfriend, then other people might start to like me, to talk to me so that I could become popular too, just like him. But he never looked at me. When my mom and dad started to talk about my poor grades in school, how much I was a disappointment to them, it made my desire to get Natsume stronger. I wanted to show them that I could achieve something and maybe getting Natsume was enough to satisfy my pride. At least, I'm going to be loved in this school, even if I don't feel it at home."

"Look, I understand your situation, Sumire, I really do but I don't think it's right. You're using Natsume; you want him not because you love him but because you want to feel good about yourself," Koko said, "and I don't want my best mate getting hurt—"

"No, no, I have no intention of hurting him, Koko, trust me. I like him, I think I do and maybe if we get together, I can learn to love him and—"

"Why do you keep forcing yourself on people who can never love you back?!" Koko blurted, "Yes, maybe you are under a lot of pressure but you can't punish yourself by getting people for the sake of your pride. Maybe your parents are jerks for not seeing how capable you are and how lucky they are to have you as their daughter but stop going after people you know you can't get."

"How dare you talk to me like that—"

"You know, just stop and think about these things. Stop wanting more than what you have and just appreciate what you've got. You keep wanting more friends when you have true ones who make you happy, you keep wanting more stuff when you already have lots. You keep chasing after Natsume Hyuuga when you already have me," Koko confessed sincerely, looking straight into Sumire's eyes.

"Koko, are you—"

"I do love you, Sumire. Ever since I laid my eyes on you, I knew you were the one. But you kept pushing me away and chasing after a guy who can never love you back, and you know that. You kept pulling people down just so you could step on them on your way up and that's not right."

"I'm sorry but you understand me, right? You're supposed to understand me, because you love me!"

"I'm not gonna love someone who can't even feel good about herself without taking things away from other people; today, you tried taking Natsume away from Mikan. What more can you do tomorrow?" Koko said, "And just for future reference, Mikan's also my best friend now."

And he left her with his broken heart.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.  
><strong>AU: **So sorry for the late updates! Thanks for the reviews, guys! I really appreciate them!

**A Change of Heart  
>Bonus Chapter: Sumire Shouda<strong>

"_Those who do not know how to see the precious things in life will never be happy." –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;- In Sumire Shouda's POV-;-

Look, I don't know what the big fuss is.

I just want people to notice me more.

I just want someone to look up to me; someone who would say, "hey, that girl's so cool. I wish I were her."

I just want someone to appreciate me; the way my parents never did.

I thought getting Natsume as my boyfriend would do the trick.

So, I don't get why Koko just walked out on me after confessing (yes, he confessed!) his feelings for me and letting me get humiliated by that devil spawn, Mikan Sakura. And you know what he said before running off? "And just for future reference, Mikan's also my best friend now." That little rat.

Can you believe it? He _actually _took that girl's side when he confessed his love to me! Traitor.

After being left alone by that coward, I made my way back to my class.

Maybe I should tell you something about myself before I head off to Chemistry.

My name's Sumire Shouda. I'm fifteen and currently a junior at Alice Academy—a prestigious school for rich kids like me—but before I transferred here, I used to go to a cheap public school with Mikan Sakura. Yes, she and I knew each other for almost seven years. I couldn't help it, we were in the same neighborhood back then and my best friend was eager to meet her every damn time. I always wished I never brought us to the park that day so he wouldn't have met that Sakura girl.

Maybe my life wouldn't be as messed up as it is right now.

Have you ever experienced climbing a wall? The kind of wall that's so high and no matter how hard you try, you still can't get to the top? That was what it felt like when Matt met Mikan. He and I never talked for more than five minutes like we used to and when we do, it's all _Mikan this, Mikan that, Mikan, Mikan, Mikan_. It's like they built up a wall around them and no matter what I do, I still couldn't get through. Finally, I gave up trying because I knew that there's nothing to go back to; I knew I lost my friend. Maybe forever.

In that same year, my mother remarried a wealthy guy who owned a chain of restaurants. I wasn't _all _happy; I didn't want another man messing with my mother's already shattered heart. But I came to accept the fact that I was going to be his stepdaughter and he was going to be my rich stepfather.

We moved out of the neighborhood into a bigger and better house. I never said goodbye to Matt because I knew I didn't need to. And maybe because I knew he didn't care.

I thought everything was going to be okay from then on but no. My mother and my stepfather argued more often and I grew up learning how to cover my ears so I wouldn't hear a thing. I also cried a lot back then. I cried because my parents were fighting; I cried because I didn't have a happy family like the other kids at school; I cried because my mom was unhappy; and I cried because I can't do anything about it.

Eventually, my parents noticed my grades falling down to a D and my stepfather turned his anger on me. He told me words like stupid, imbecile, good-for-nothing, simpleton. I didn't even know what half of them meant. I just knew I had to get at least an A- on my next Math test. I cried almost every night after that fight, staying up late to finish essays that were due not until the week after and studying for tests that wouldn't come until the end of the month. That only lasted for a few weeks though because I realized that I wasn't happy. And that this is my life and I should live it the way I want to.

So the next time my stepfather ordered me to go back to my room and study, I stood firmly and stated my resolution. I said that I was tired of doing my best to please them, even forgetting about my own feelings when all I get is nothing. Not even a smile or a pat of appreciation. I was sick and tired of giving them my best when I know that my best isn't good enough for them. And maybe it will never be.

I expected my father to scold me heck, even hit me. But all he did was to stand there, eyes locked on me and lips pressed into a thin line. After a minute or so of dead silence, my stepfather told me, "Suit yourself, but don't you ever run back to me when you can't find yourself a decent job." Then he left to his study with a loud slam of the door. I turned to my mom but she never said anything; she just looked at me with her weary eyes that I have come to get used to.

That's when it started; the whole 'ignore we even have a daughter' thing. Not that I really cared, but sometimes you'd want someone you could talk to; someone who would care. But my stepfather never even looked at me and my mother's always locked up in her own bedroom whenever I came home. I tried, more than once, to talk to them but all I got was either a nod or nothing at all.

In those times, I wished I had Matt by my side and tell me everything's going to be alright even if I know that it's not and maybe it will never be.

And I gave up trying; I gave up caring. I just focused on what I want to have and how I would get it. I knew I needed Natsume to boost up my popularity here in the academy but this stupid Mikan Sakura girl came to mess everything up again.

Just like the way she had messed up my life six years ago.

"How are you doing, Medusa?" I heard someone call out behind me and I was instantly pulled away from my thoughts. I turned and saw a bunch of kids snickering, huddled up by the lockers. I glared at them and asked in an annoyed tone, "who said that?"

"Turned any teenager into stone lately?" taunted another. Several others laughed and I found myself surrounded by _them_; those people who had been there during my confrontation with Sakura earlier; those people who found Mikan Sakura's sickening sense of humor very funny.

"Shut up," I said menacingly, giving them my deluxe I'll-kill-you-all-if-you-don't-zip-it glare.

"Or what, princess? You'll turn us into stone?" someone from my right jeered. I turned to the voice's direction but I can't pinpoint who actually said it. He's probably hiding behind the other kids; scared that I might catch him and skin him alive.

"Maybe strangle us with your hair?" another one from my left said. I felt myself getting crowded in.

"Feed us with seaweeds?" My head is getting dizzy. They're all moving forward; trapping me inside a circle. I glared at different directions but it doesn't seem to affect them the way I thought it would. I mean, my glares had always worked. I began to get scared. For the first time in years, I'm scared.

I heard some more snickering somewhere but my mind was racing that I didn't mind them.

Why was I scared? I learned not to be scared. I learned to never show anyone my weakness. But what now? I can't believe this is actually happening to me.

I'm starting to think that Mikan Sakura's little joke had more effect on these dumb fools than I expected. If this continues, I might lose my popularity; people would avoid me. I can't do that. I can't now that Natsume's denying me and I had a row with Koko. I don't think I'm gonna be welcomed with open arms at our lunch table until everything's back in place.

And that means putting Mikan Sakura back in the place where she belongs.

The trash can.

"Ah!" I gasped as I was pulled away from my thoughts. Someone just pushed me. I looked frantically for that fearless bastard but more and more people were pushing me; sideways, front, back, diagonally; I'm being toyed around.

"Get away from me!" I managed to shout, shoving their hands aside.

"Stop that!" I heard a voice order. I felt relieved inside, assuming that a teacher has come to help but I realized too late that _that _voice was all too familiar. It was annoyingly high; the type I'd know anywhere. That was the voice I loathed; the voice of Mikan Sakura.

I heard a shuffle of footsteps and found my way cleared; the circle was dispersing; the fun was over.

I felt hands on my shoulder, trying to shake me awake. I must have looked like a person in a trance.

I looked up and sure enough, there she was, standing in all her freaking glory: Mikan Sakura.

"Are you alright?" she asked me. Of course I was, I wanted to tell her. Why the hell would I not be?

"This is all—your—fault!" I yelled at her, "if you hadn't started that whole stupid 'Medusa' thing, none of this would have happened!" I waved my arms around hysterically as I felt something hot rush down my cheeks. No, I can't cry. Not in front of her.

"I didn't know—I'm, I'm so sorry, I—" Sakura stammered. I turned my back on her to hide my face.

"You'll regret this, Mikan Sakura! You'll regret ever messing up with me and Natsume! You'll regret ever stepping foot on this school!"

I stormed off with my face in my hands.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.  
><strong>AU: **Sorry for the late updates! Thanks for all your reviews!

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Eleven: Threats and Empty Promises<strong>

"_True love would look a second time. True love would not be thwarted. True love would not accept no for an answer." –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

"Hey, polka-dots, wait up," Natsume half-walked, half-jogged as he caught up with Mikan who had stopped to glare at him.

"What the hell is with the new nickname?" she asked, obviously annoyed.

"Cute, isn't it?" Natsume replied with a playful smirk.

"If you mean 'I'll-get-your-head-for-it-cute' then yes, it is," Mikan retorted as she moved forward again.

"Did Sumire wind you up pretty bad?" Natsume asked jokingly as he dodged Mikan's elbow.

"She was just warming up," Mikan replied nonchalantly as she turned away from Natsume. She seemed lost in her thoughts as she walked forward. The question of why Sumire was being cruel to her kept swimming in her head.

Two years had already passed since she had first seen Sumire Shouda here in the academy. From the very first day that they had seen each other, Sumire never even said a single nice word to Mikan. All she heard were insults, nasty rumors hell, Sumire even _pretended _to not know her when in fact, they spent almost a year playing with each other in the past.

It all just doesn't make any sense.

Mikan didn't know _why _Sumire was so mean towards her. She tried talking to Sumire but she just shrugs her off and pretends that she doesn't exist. And Mikan was not a fool to keep on trying to be friends with someone who treats her coldly. Why would she even bother to befriend someone who outright hates her?

In the end, Mikan wouldn't even touch Sumire with a ten-foot pole, heck even a twenty-foot pole. She decided to be the mature one and just ignore the insults thrown her way. Besides, getting in trouble might harm her scholarship. She doesn't want to be a burden to her own mother, especially in her condition.

But after two years of enduring those hurtful words, Mikan had enough. She decided that a few pretty words wouldn't hurt. She just needs to maintain her limits.

"Hello? Earth to Polkadots, can you hear me?" Natsume's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"What?" she snapped.

Natsume smirked and asked curiously, "You look like you were thinking about something deep. What is it?"

"I—" Mikan was about to answer _I was thinking about Sumire and why she's being a bitch to me _but decided to just keep her thoughts to herself, "It's actually none of your business."

"I thought we had a deal?"

"Our deal was that I would tell you what I'm _feeling_, not thinking," Mikan replied, "stupid Hyuuga."

"Tch, I thought I could get away with it. Turns out you're more alert than I thought," Natsume replied, giving her sidelong glance and smirked.

"Don't underestimate me, Hyuuga," Mikan retorted as she gave him a sharp look, "I don't want to break your precious heart."

"Oh, I know you won't do that," Natsume muttered under his breath. _Because I'll break yours before you can even hurt mine, _he finished in his mind. 

"Hey, Hyuuga, how long are we going to keep this up?" Mikan asked blandly as she walked side by side with Natsume.

"Keep what up?" Natsume asked, feigning ignorance.

"Don't think you can fool me, Hyuuga. You _know _what I'm talking about," Mikan retorted, unfazed.

Before Natsume could answer, Mikan let out a small gasp.

"Look! What's going on there?" Mikan exclaimed as she stared ahead. There was a big circle formed somewhere by the lockers; lots of students were laughing and jeering at someone. Before Natsume could even tell her to leave them be and head off to class, she had rushed off towards the commotion.

"Stop that!" Mikan yelled and the noise slowly abated. The other students looked at her; some with admiration, some with mischievous smiles while a few of them went off to their own classes. The circle was now gone and Mikan willed her way towards the poor girl they were making fun of.

Her jaw almost dropped open when she saw her. It was Sumire Shouda; but not exactly her either.

Her hair was disheveled and looked curlier than before. Her eyes were misty and were staring downwards, like she was in a trance. Her head was down instead of her usual chin-up-chest-out stance.

Mikan reached out to shake her, hoping it would wake her up from her daze.

"Are you alright?" she asked anxiously. Sumire looked up, her eyes were wide and for the first time, she looked frail.

She looked so miserable that Mikan almost took pity on her.

Almost.

"This is all—your—fault!" Sumire screamed at Mikan, "if you hadn't started that whole stupid 'Medusa' thing, none of this would have happened!" She started flailing her arms everywhere and Mikan glanced at Natsume in panic. She turned back to Sumire.

"I didn't know—I'm, I'm so sorry, I—" Mikan tried to get her words out correctly but she couldn't. Sumire turned so that her back faced Mikan and the others.

"You'll regret this, Mikan Sakura! You'll regret ever messing up with me and Natsume! You'll regret ever stepping foot on this school!" and with yet another threat, Sumire Shouda storms away with her face covered up with her hands.

Mikan pursed her lips. Sure, Sumire _was _mean and spoiled but Mikan knew how much of a child she is inside. She wondered if that child inside Sumire is breaking down somewhere.

Mikan felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"It's not your fault, polka-dots," Natsume said, happy because he's actually touching Mikan for half a minute now and he hasn't been punched squarely in the face…yet. But he's also a bit upset that Ms. Drama Queen had to ruin their moods drastically.

"It is. _I _called her Medusa. It's mean, I shouldn't have done that," Mikan muttered; a part of her was saying _well, she deserved it anyway _while the other argued _it isn't her fault that she had to act that way_.

"It isn't. Look, she attacked you first, didn't she? Called you names and all that? Does it matter if you called her 'Medusa' if you were just getting even with her?" Natsume reasoned with her.

_Getting even, _Mikan thought. She wondered what Sumire might be thinking now; probably formulating a plot to humiliate her in front of the whole school.

She thought about her promise to Natsume, how she would tell her true feelings to him and decided it wasn't really the right time to be truthful right now. Besides, the less people knew, the better.

Immediately, she felt bad about herself and her empty promises. She made up her mind to think everything through before she told Natsume.

"You're actually making sense right now, Hyuuga," Mikan said, "Miracles do happen, don't they?"

"What are you talking about? I always make sense," Natsume retorted.

"Not always," Mikan replied, "so, have you thought about the expiration date of this pretence?"

"Not yet. You heard Sumire. She won't stop until she gets me. I need you around, you know, to scare her off," Natsume muttered as he sidled by Mikan's side.

"What am I, a darn scarecrow? You can't keep me around forever, Hyuuga. Because for the last time, _I—have—a—life_," Mikan bantered.

"Who said I can't, Polka-dots?" Natsume replied, raising an eyebrow and looking sideways at Mikan.

Mikan looked up at him and said, "Me." Then she picked up her pace and called out, "Come on, short-brows, we'll be late for class!"

"Hey!" Natsume said, sounding affronted but at the same time, amused, "I take offense to that!"

He ran to catch up with her and Mikan's laughter echoed through the empty halls.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.  
><strong>AU: **I'm so sorry for the late updates! Thanks for the reviews! :D

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Twelve: Temporary Truce<strong>

_"Of course, maybe I'd end up like one of those crazy old people with, like, sixty cats. And one day, the neighbors would complain about the smell, and it would turn out I'd died and the cats had eaten me._

_Still, it might be nice to have a cat." –Beastly by Alex Flinn_

-;-

Everything just seemed so wrong.

Yesterday, the whole café wasn't as lively as before. There weren't any boisterous people hanging out in the café or anyone to distract Mikan from her thoughts except for the continuous _tick-tock, tick tock_ of the clock on the wall just above the door with the sign, _Authorized Personnel Only_. The weather was gloomy and time passed by so slowly that every minute felt like an hour.

Today wasn't an exception.

After that fight with Mikan in front of a lot of students, Sumire was not seen on campus which Mikan felt a bit bad about. Her friends would comfort her, especially Natsume who would tell her in his most _caring_ voice, "It's not your fault, idiot. Get over it." Still, Mikan can't help wonder about Sumire's whereabouts.

Mikan sighed as she picked up her bag and walked out of the classroom after an hour and a half of advanced algebra and more polygons that seemed to float randomly in her head. She prayed silently to the gods, thanking them for letting her live after this torture.

She walked towards the lockers, mentally taking notes about what she needed to accomplish later. Just before she opened her locker, she turned to her right and as if on cue, Natsume Hyuuga was there.

"What now, Hyuuga?" Mikan asked tiredly.

"Have you seen Koko?" Natsume asked casually, leaning his head on the lockers.

"I haven't, actually. I wonder what happened between him and Sumire yesterday," Mikan replied. She opened her locker and a white paper, which looked like it was hastily torn from a notebook, fell to the floor. Mikan hurriedly picked it up and read it to herself. Natsume peered from behind.

The letter said in a sloppy handwriting:

_We need to talk. Just the two of us. _

_Meet me by the pool. _

_Sumire._

Mikan lowered the paper and folded it then kept it inside her backpack.

Mikan and Natsume stared at each other for one moment, each trying to know what the other might be plotting. As if reading Mikan's mind, Natsume spoke up:

"Absolutely no, polka-dots."

"I don't need to ask for your permission," Mikan said coldly as she took out her chemistry book and closed her locker shut. She turned to walk away when Natsume blocked her way.

"Tell me you won't go, polka-dots." He said in a very strange voice that Mikan could only describe as '_so dangerously low and fierce you'd almost wet your pants_.'

"Fine," Mikan sighed, resigned. "I won't go anymore."

"Promise me, Mikan Sakura, that you won't be stupid enough to walk into traps and endanger yourself."

"That's just stupid—"

"Promise me," Natsume insisted.

"Alright, alright, I won't, I promise," Mikan replied, although she had no idea why she was being so submissive to him. There was something new about him; something intense and overwhelming that you'd find yourself tongue-tied when there are a thousand words you'd want to throw at his smug face. Even Mikan, who had at first been immune to his charms, is almost feeling the effects of the great Casanova.

Almost.

"Keep your word, polka-dots," Natsume said, "I—I think someone's calling me. I'll see you later."

And with that, he was off.

Though Mikan had a feeling he was holding back something but quickly pushed the thought aside.

Mikan adjusted her backpack as she stared at Natsume's retreating figure until he disappeared in another classroom. Her eyes flitted from Natsume's classroom to the note in her bag.

Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth.

Finally, she made up her mind and settle this once and for all.

She mentally apologized for yet another empty promise she made.

She headed for the pool area.

-;-

"Sumire?" Mikan called out as she pushed open the door; her nostrils were instantly greeted by the smell of chlorine. No one replied to her. She walked forward, cautiously looking at her left and right sides as if expecting someone to give her a surprise attack.

"Hello?" she called out again. Still no answer. She went near the pool and almost fell in when she saw Sumire sitting on her own in one corner of the place. She was staring straight into Mikan's eyes which gave Mikan the creeps.

"Y-you wanted to talk to me?" Mikan said, holding up the note from Sumire.

"You sound scared, Sakura," Sumire stood up; Mikan noticed her proud aura still intact. She looked at Mikan like a predator eyeing its prey.

"I'm not," Mikan replied defensively, "I'm just…uncomfortable with being near the water with you around."

"Oh, yes," Sumire grinned at the memory, "that accident five years ago. You almost drowned." She said it so casually as if telling you what the weather is. "After playing with dear old Matt in the kids' pool, you went over to check the one for adults—which is stupid, by the way—and fell in."

"No, someone was calling me then that person pushed me into the pool," Mikan answered truthfully, not taking her eyes away from Sumire as she recalled that day in her mind; that perfect day turned disaster.

_Tut-tut-tut_, Sumire clicked her tongue. "Who would be that cruel to do that to you, sweetheart?"

"I'm not one to forget so easily, Sumire. I _know_ it was you," Mikan spat, narrowing her eyes.

"Still going on about those false accusations, aren't you?" Sumire said as she walked to where Mikan was standing.

"What do you want, Sumire?" Mikan asked, not breaking her eye contact with the green-haired girl.

"Oh, I want a lot of things, Sakura. The things I never had, never experienced. The people who were supposed to be by my side until you came and stole them from me," Sumire replied harshly.

"I did not steal from you!" Mikan screamed indignantly.

"Yes, you did, sweetheart," Sumire said coldly, "you took away everything that's meant for me. First, Matt. Then, Natsume and Koko. Why are you doing this to me, Sakura? What have I done wrong to you?"

"I never took Matt away from you, Sumire," Mikan's tone broke, as if saying _his _name out loud brought tears in her eyes, "I never took away Koko, not even Hyuuga. I never took anything away from you. You're the one who pushes them away. Your overprotective attitude strangles them that's why they stay away from you. Friends aren't things you could keep forever, Sumire. They are people; they want to breathe and move and mingle with others. You can't just force them to be your friend."

"You don't understand. Matt was my _everything_," Sumire started again, "he was all I had. He was like the father I lost, the brother I wished I had, the best friend I wanted to keep forever. He made me feel happy when all there is in this cruel, crappy world is hatred and sadness. We were _fine _before he met _you_. But then you came along and messed us up. Matt wouldn't have met you if _I _didn't ask for us to play at the park six years ago. _I _was the reason why you two know each other but did I so much as receive a thank you? No!" Sumire went on, tears freely streaming down her face. "Every day in the past six years, I never stopped thinking about him, thinking about what could have been. You don't know how much I regret bringing him to that park, Sakura. I regret it every damn day."

"Sumire, I didn't know—"

"You didn't know or you never bothered to find out? Oh yeah, I forgot, you two were the lovebirds and I was just the extra, a third wheel, felt more like a seventh actually. Now, you're stealing not just Natsume but also Koko. Wow, can't you keep your hands to yourself, huh, pumpkin?" Sumire asked, now in front of Mikan's tear-stained face.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb. I know what you're doing. You're taking everyone I care about one by one until I'm left on my own. You're taking away the person that I love and the person that loves me!" Sumire accused an affronted Mikan.

"What the hell do you know about love?"

"You tell me." Sumire challenged as she slowly walked around Mikan in a circle.

"I don't know." Mikan bit the inside of her cheeks as she thought about a million things related to the word, love.

Sumire laughed bitterly, "I wouldn't expect you to know anyway, not poor people like you who did nothing but steal from the wealthy people who treated you like siblings."

_Like siblings? _Mikan mocked inside her head.

There was a long pause before Mikan uttered, in a solemn tone:

"What happened to you, Sumire?" she said before adding, "You know, before you curled your hair and dyed it green; before all the make-up and boys. You were actually a good person; a tolerable one. I know we didn't talk much during our years together but that doesn't mean I ignored your existence."

Sumire didn't say anything. She just looked at Mikan.

"To be honest, I was really glad to have met you," Mikan continued since Sumire said nothing.

Sumire laughed mockingly, "You're sure you're not talking about Matt there?"

"I'm glad I met you, the both of you," Mikan said resolutely. "You may not believe it but I do. I don't have a lot of friends, Sumire. Not everyone wants to hang out with someone like me," Sumire sneered at her when she said this, as if saying, _Glad you know your place in the food chain._ But Mikan brushed it off and continued, "Look," she sighed, "I don't know what you're going through but please just lend me your ears for a minute. You're mistaken; you're looking for someone else to blame for all that's been happening to you and unfortunately, it's me. You're mad at the world and you're lashing out on me, making up reasons just to justify your hate towards me. But Sumire, you _can _be better than this; you _are _better than this. Just—just let me help you."

"Nice speech," Sumire sneered, "but here's the thing: you don't know me, Sakura. How can you be so sure that I'm just lashing out on you, that I don't despise you and wish, from the depths of my heart, for you to just disappear out of our lives?"

"I don't know you because you won't tell me anything! If you just give us a chance—give _me_ a chance—maybe we could fix this." Mikan replied. Pleading with her eyes because honestly, she was getting tired of fighting with Sumire. She wanted this animosity between them to end. After all, they spent their childhood together. _That_ has to count for something, right?

"You want to know something? Fine, I'll tell you," Sumire said menacingly as she crossed her arms in front of Mikan who was listening intently. "Ever since I met you, my whole life turned upside-down. My mother remarried my stepfather which is good since he's rich and I don't have to go to that stinky school I used to attend with you. But aside from that, everything is just miserable. People whispered about my mother being a gold-digger, my parents having endless arguments, my grades slowly dropping to a D, my parents chewing me out for things I didn't intend to do," Sumire explained, her eyes never leaving Mikan's, "at last I decided to stop crying and stand up for myself. I learned to stop caring what other people think and focus on the things I want. I wanted to become popular so I hung out with the cool kids. I wanted to feel loved and wanted and be envied by people; the love and want that my parents never showed me, so I decided to have Natsume as my boyfriend."

"You want Hyuuga so you could get _more _attention? That's what this is about?" Mikan asked with contempt as an image of Natsume Hyuuga entered her mind. "Sumire, I know you've been through a lot but this isn't the way to set things right."

"Who said anything about setting things right? I'm my own person, Sakura. I don't follow orders; I make them. I know what I want and I will get it. I always do whether it's right or wrong. I want Natsume Hyuuga to be mine, and I _will_ make him mine," Sumire replied, obstinately.

"Maybe he is who you _want _but Sumire, I think there's someone else you_ need_," Mikan said. "There's a big difference between want and need, Sumire."

"What are you talking about?" Sumire narrowed her eyes at Mikan.

"I'm just telling you that maybe you're too focused on pining over a man whom you _think _you love that you don't notice you're losing the only man who truly _loves _you," Mikan explained.

"You said so yourself: you don't even have the slightest idea what love is! You're not one to decide who I should pine over or not. _And, you're not the boss of me_," Sumire retorted. Mikan smirked.

"You know, we are much more alike than the both of us would ever like to admit," she replied, reminiscing that time she and Hyuuga first met at Anna's café. She backed away and turned, heading for the exit.

"Don't you walk away from me, Sakura! We aren't finished yet!" Sumire called out from behind.

Mikan waved but doesn't bother to turn, saying, "Just think about it, Sumire. Maybe a little light would do you good. _He _might be the one—the only one—who could talk some sense into your head."

Sumire pursed her lips and looked down.

"Oh, and before I forget," Mikan, who was already opening the door, said suddenly and Sumire's head shot up. Sumire raised her eyebrows expectantly.

"Stop chasing after Hyuuga, Sumire. He's _my boyfriend_. And I don't like sharing what's mine," Mikan continued with a sly wink. She was about to get out when Sumire called out, "Wait."

Mikan turned and saw Sumire smirk back at her, "Don't rub it in my face, Sakura. I can still get him. But for now, you should thank me for not pushing you into the pool when I had thirty minutes to do it."

Mikan chuckled, "Maybe you _are _still human after all." And she was gone.

Sumire smiled inwardly.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Gakuen Alice.  
><strong>AU: **Sorry for the late updates! Thank you so much for the reviews, guys! Uh, this chapter's a little bit longer than the others by the way so better have some snacks with you or something :)

**A Change of Heart  
>Chapter Thirteen: The Fuss about Names<strong>

_"Young man, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason." –Mr. D (Dionysius) in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan _

-;-

His phone buzzed.

Natsume Hyuuga groaned as he rolled onto his side and reached for his phone which was ringing like crazy atop his bedside table. He pressed the answer button and placed the phone against his ear which he realized was a very wrong move because the moment he put the phone to his ear, he'd almost gone deaf for someone screamed: "Where _the hell _ are you, Hyuuga?! I'm already here! You're thirty minutes late! Or am I bothering your morning facial routines?! Because if I am, just let me know and I will gladly tell the others but if not, well, get your fat ass out of bed and let's get moving, you hear?!"

And Mikan Sakura's voice echoed throughout Natsume's almost empty apartment. Little did she know that she was talking to no one because Natsume, annoyed at the fact that he was being yelled at as early as eight in the morning and that Mikan Sakura _was _the person yelling at him, had long since left his phone on his bedside table and went straight to the bathroom.

Natsume splashed his face with water, hoping that its coldness would help rouse his still lethargic body. After all, Mikan Sakura said that she _was _waiting for him (although she also insulted him in the latter parts of her call as he had heard from his bedroom). But instead of waking up his spirits, he felt more sluggish than before and he was indeed in no mood for some stupid cleaning session now.

Why did he agree to help with the clean-up in the first place? Wait, he did _not _agree. The girl just went on and _forced _him out of bed with her loud, irritating voice. He thought back at the conversation he had with the brunette yesterday.

"_You still met with her? Are you crazy?" Natsume asked in disbelief._

"_No. Besides, everything's fine. You don't have to worry about anything."_

"_I'm not worrying. I'm just annoyed at how you could, without any hesitation, go back on your word."_

"_Okay, okay. I know I'm wrong and I'm sorry. So, can you at least wipe that grimace off your face now? It's making me jumpy." Mikan said as she looked away._

"_What? So, you want me to smile for you? Is that it?" Natsume asked mockingly._

"_You're still angry, aren't you?"_

"_Do you realize what could have happened when you went there alone and unprotected? You are so stupid."_

"_You being worried about me is scary."_

"_I'm not worried about you. I'm worried about myself. Goodness knows what your devil incarnate of a best friend would do to me once she finds out I let you go to that girl alone." Natsume rolled his eyes._

"_Sumire's not as bad as you think. Yeah, maybe she _is _as bad as you think. But I know she won't really harm anyone. Yeah, maybe once in a while she'll hurt someone."_

"_Christ, just get to the point already."_

"_Point is, she didn't hurt me and I can take care of myself so you don't have to worry about getting your ass kicked by Hotaru."_

"_Oh, she could do a lot worse than kick my ass, Tangerine."_

"_Like what? Use your make-up kit without your permission?" Mikan snorted._

"_Trying to be funny now, huh, polka-dots?" Natsume raised a challenging brow._

_Mikan's laugh was cut short when Natsume grabbed her by the wrist and pinned her against the wall. _

"_Is this _your _attempt at being funny, huh, Hyuuga? Because it's sure as hell not at the very least funny."_

_Natsume seized both of her wrists, leaving her with no escape. His gaze lingered on Mikan's pink lips then he stared back at her brown eyes which were fixed into a furious glare. _

"_Let go, Hyuuga. What do you want _now_?" She asked as she tried to free herself from his tight grasps but it was no use; he was a man after all._

"_Is it really hard for you to call me by my given name?"_

"_Not like you're calling me by my given name either, Mr. Smarty-pants."_

"_I did. I called you by your name but you weren't paying attention." Natsume muttered._

"_What?"_

"_Doesn't matter. I'm going to call you whatever I want to. No arguments."_

"_Fine. But I'm going to call you whatever I want to also. No arguments." _

"_That isn't fair. Besides, you owe me. You didn't keep your promise remember?"_

"_Life isn't fair, Hyuuga. The earlier you learn that, the better."_

"_Natsume."_

"_What?"_

"_Call me 'Natsume'."_

"_No."_

"_Why?"_

"_Because I don't want to."_

"_That's a lame reason. If I know, you're just afraid you'd blush when you call me by my first name. That's just how girls are, aren't they?"_

"_I will not! And how many times am I going to repeat this, Hyuuga? Stop generalizing women; it won't do you any good."_

"_Then tell me why."_

_Mikan didn't say anything. She just chewed on her bottom lip and refused to meet Natsume's penetrating gaze._

"_How about this? You'd help with the clean-up at the café tomorrow and I'll give you what you're asking for?" Mikan asked nervously as she rocked on the balls of her feet._

"_Huh?" Natsume said dubiously that he didn't notice Mikan slowly slipping away from his hold._

"_Sounds great. See you at eight! Have a great day!" Then she was gone._

_And she spent the whole day avoiding Natsume in any way possible._

He sighed resignedly as he looked back at his reflection. He looked the same as before; prominent cheekbones, straight nose, full lips, crimson eyes: the perfect face he'd normally see on a normal day. But he was certain that something was different or at least he _felt _different. He scrutinized his face and found some dark circles under his eyes. He remembered how he wasn't able to sleep the night before due to his confrontations with the blackmail queen and his mother herself. The thought of leaving was enough to keep him awake for three nights straight.

Ever since the letter came, his anxiety level never dwindled but grew more and more every single day. He knew he had no other choice; he _had _to come back sooner or later but he was not expecting it to be _this _soon.

He thought back at his conversation with his mother.

"_Your father's dying."_

"_What?" _

"_He's been diagnosed with leukemia. He's been confined for nearly three months now…_

"_Natsume, I know it's hard for you; for both of you but I want you to know that I'm doing my best to save your father but his body isn't very…cooperative." _

"_I want to see him."_

"_I'll arrange a flight for you as soon as possible…on one condition."_

"_What is it?"_

"_You are __**never**__ to go back to Hogsville again." _

"_Why?" _

"_You will be managing the family's company in place of your bedridden father. It is your father's wish, Natsume. You know it, right? That your brother is not qualified for this task and prefers the useless path of being a dancer. You are the only one left to carry the Hyuugas' well-known and respected name in the business. Would you deny your father's last wish, hm, Natsume?"_

_It took a while before Natsume could reply in a voice as faint as a whisper, "No."_

"_Very good," Natsume heard a dark chuckle, "your brother delivered you the envelope, did he not?" _

"_Yes, he did." Natsume replied._

"_And I assume that you have read the contents?" his mother asked. _

"_Yes." Natsume answered in a dull voice._

"_Good. Have you signed the contract then? Please fax it immediately back to my office. I need it for my next meeting with the board members."_

"_No. I—I still need to think about it."_

"_What is there to think about, Natsume?"_

"_Mother, once I sign this contract, my whole life will be tied to the company," Natsume reasoned._

"_Natsume," his mother paused, "you're already chosen for this. You cannot say no."_

"_But mother—"_

"_Enough! You will not embarrass me!"_

_Natsume immediately fell silent. _

"_I have granted your selfish wish of studying in a Japanese school in Hogsville with your cousin and childhood friend! And yet you are still as selfish as before, asking for more wishes when you cannot even grant mine! You will not continue living in that disgusting place again! I forbid it! You shall come back here and finish your studies as you simultaneously help with the family business. Should you refuse, I will forcefully drag you back here. Do you understand me, Natsume?" _

"_I understand." Natsume replied, clenching and unclenching his fist at his side._

"_You will not follow after your brother's shameful footsteps. I will not have both of my sons bring dishonor to the prestigious name of the Hyuugas. You are the only heir of the Hyuuga Empire; everyone is expecting great things from you. Do not let me down, Natsume."_

"_I won't, mother. But, please, just give me more time."_

"_For what? Your fate has already been decided. You are not allowed to have any opinions on anything."_

"_The school year is about to end. Just let me finish it. Then I'll go back and do whatever I have to do. Please, this is my last request."_

_There was a moment of silence before his mother answered:_

"_Very well. But after that, you won't set foot in that city again. I'm sure you're aware of it, Natsume, that you don't belong in that world. I know you miss the special treatment here. The people there cannot even compare to our housekeepers," Natsume's jaw tensed and he clenched his fist tightly that his knuckles turned white, "they are all just disgusting, dirty rags." _

"_Thank you for granting my request." Natsume tried hard to keep his composure._

"_If after you finish your studies, you still don't return, I'll be the one to drag you to the airport. Keep the contract for now. That is all. Make the most out of your freedom, Natsume, while you still have it. Goodbye."_

_And the call ended._

The scene changed to another confrontation. This time, it was not a call but a personal talk inside Natsume's apartment that happened just yesterday. The blackmail queen, Hotaru Imai, came striding in without notice which took Natsume off guard. He was busily sorting out some papers when the doors burst open and he caught sight of the ice queen in all her glory.

"_What do you want, Imai?"_

"_The other Hyuuga told me about the letter."_

"_More like you blackmailed him into telling you."_

"_You know me too well, Hyuuga," she smirked._

"_Anyway, to what do I owe this pleasure?"_

"_You. Are you really planning to leave?" _

"_Well, a short vacation isn't a bad idea—"_

"_Don't make a fool out of me, Hyuuga," she said, low and ominous, "Auntie," she paused meaningfully before continuing, "she's trying to get you back, isn't she?"_

_Natsume didn't reply but Hotaru understood. She had always known this day would come. _

"_My father," Natsume started, refusing to look into Hotaru's piercing stare, "he's been diagnosed with leukemia." _

_Hotaru's eyes widened, "Uncle has leukemia?" she exclaimed incredulously, "why is this so sudden…" _

"_I don't know," Natsume sighed hopelessly. _

"_You want to see him, don't you?" Hotaru asked. Natsume didn't bother to reply so Hotaru continued, "You know what would happen if you go back, don't you, Hyuuga?" _

_Natsume lowered his head. "You can't leave now. If you do, then—"_

"_I won't be able to come back. I may not even be allowed to see you and Ruka anymore." Natsume lifted up his head as he spoke, meeting Hotaru's gaze at last, "I know."_

"_Then," Hotaru stepped closer, eyeing the paperwork in Natsume's hands, "what are you planning to do?"_

"_I'll leave after this school year ends," Natsume answered. He knew lying to Hotaru Imai won't do him any good and she'll eventually find out anyway. Hotaru kept her calm while she asked, "this soon?"_

"_We both know that this day would come. My mother…she isn't someone who you could fool so easily. It's already a miracle that I survived for two years out of her reins. Then again, we aren't completely sure that she wasn't watching me all along." Natsume sighed. He was frustrated; he was frustrated at his controlling mother, at his nonchalant cousin, at the unfairness of life—at everything. _

"_Hyuuga, about your father's disease," Hotaru changed the topic, "your mother told you about that?"_

"_Who else? She told me that she's doing her best but his body isn't cooperating. But I'm in this situation so I can't just go on and visit him. We just have to pray that he'll last long enough to wait for me there."_

"_Are you sure that this isn't some tactic to get you to come to them?" Hotaru suggested._

_Natsume went silent. What if it was? What if his father really wasn't sick? That his mother was just pretending all along? But what if it was true and his father was barely holding on? _

"_Do you think Natsuko knows something?" Natsume asked. _

"_I'll talk to him later," Hotaru answered, "besides, I'm the only one who could make him spill the beans."_

"_Excuse me for not being as scary as you," Natsume replied. Hotaru rolled her eyes and was about to leave when Natsume stopped her. _

"_Imai…let's call off the bet."_

_Hotaru turned half-way but her expression never changed. She asked, "Why?"_

"_Why? I should be asking you that. Why did you start the bet anyway? What are you planning?" Natsume asked, sounding suspicious. _

"_Nothing," Hotaru answered bluntly._

"_Huh?" _

"_We won't call off the bet. Instead, I will be giving you a deadline." Hotaru continued._

"_A deadline?" Natsume repeated._

"_Yes, a deadline, Hyuuga. If in a month, you still haven't owned her heart, then you lose the bet. You will hand me over your pictures in women's clothing and the amount we agreed on. However, if you by chance manage to win her over, I'll obey one order from you."_

"_In one month?" Natsume muttered like it was impossible. _

"_Can you not do it?"_

"_Do you even know who you're talking to? I __**can **__do it. After all, what's one girl compared to the other girls I've made mine in just a split of a second?"_

"_You're comparing her again. I've told you before, right? She isn't like the rest. Unless you get it through that thick head of yours, you would never see the person who really is Mikan Sakura."_

And the conversation ended with Hotaru exiting the apartment and slamming the door shut, much to Natsume's neighbors' annoyance. But before she left, Natsume asked her:

"_Aren't you worried?" _

"_About what?"_

"_About her. She's your best friend, isn't she? Starting a bet like this, it's like playing with her heart. Wouldn't she get mad if she finds out? Besides, you know me, Imai. I don't do relationships. And don't think that I'll consider her special just because she's your best friend. I won't change myself for her."_

_Hotaru smiled. "The results—whether her heart gets broken or not—it all depends on you now." _

"_What? You'll start something like this then just dump everything on me?" Natsume complained._

"_I'll be counting on you then. Goodbye." _

"_That airhead, really, so troublesome…" Natsume muttered. _

_But he had a feeling that there's more than just that._

"See the person who really is Mikan Sakura, huh," he repeated seemingly to his self as he stared back at his reflection. "Hn," he smirked, as if he found everything quite amusing.

-;-

"There you are!" Mikan greeted heatedly as she caught sight of the familiar raven-haired pervert.

"It's amazing how much you miss me, polka-dots. It's as if we haven't seen each other in ages when really, we just saw each other yesterday," Natsume teased as Mikan approached him. She rolled her eyes at him and handed him a mop.

"Just so you know, Hyuuga, I don't—and will never—miss your ugly, perverted face in my life. I'm just…satisfied to see someone else help with the clean-up," Mikan retorted as she turned away from Natsume's mocking face.

"You're still in that in-denial stage, huh?" Natsume continued to tease as Mikan grinded her teeth and glared at him although; she was only as scary as a baby penguin next to Natsume's tall and intimidating frame.

"I'm not denying anything!" Mikan replied hotly then grabbed a broom as she stormed off. Natsume smiled a little at her petite figure, sweeping furiously at the corner of the small café.

"Still as stubborn as ever," Natsume muttered under his breath.

Unfortunately, what was meant to be unheard _was _heard and Natsume found himself in an ambush interview by Anna and Nonoko.

"Who are you talking about, Natsume-kun?" Anna asked, intrigued. Natsume looked away from Mikan's back to talk to them.

"Who am I talking about what?" He asked blandly as he started to mop the floor half-heartedly.

"Oh, you can't fool us, Natsume-kun," Nonoko raised a finger in the air and wriggled it, "I know I've heard you muttering about someone who is _"still as stubborn as ever"_, _so_ who is it?" she inquired excitedly, her smile was from ear to ear.

"Oh, isn't it obvious already, Nonoko?" Anna replied, equally as excited as Nonoko, "he's talking about Mikan, isn't he?"

"Oh, right! Right! Who else could it be?" Nonoko faced her best friend, her eyes shining.

"Could it be that the great playboy, Natsume Hyuuga, has learned to love _one _girl? Kyaa! This is just so exciting!" Anna squealed with delight as she clasped hands with Nonoko.

"Kyaa! It's just like in those romantic movies! I'm so thrilled!" Nonoko replied, sharing the dreamy look on Anna's face. But instantly went back to normal when she remembered something, "oh, but does Mikan know already?"

"Know what?" Anna replied, still having that far-away look on her face which Nonoko didn't seem to notice.

"Natsume-kun's feelings," Nonoko replied, "did he already tell her how he truly feels?"

"I don't think Hyuuga knows his true feelings yet nor will he admit it when he realized them. He considers his pride as his topmost priority and he wouldn't do cheesy things such as a love confession. Unless the oversized balloon of his pride is deflated, he would never do anything that could damage his image, even if he has to keep his feelings to himself. That's the way his stupid mind works," Hotaru Imai appeared out of the blue beside them, holding up a feather duster as she interrupted. The other two girls gawked at her with mouths wide open.

It was Nonoko who recovered first, "Ho-Hotaru-chan, we didn't see you there."

"I just came in to help since Mikan informed me of the free food you're offering to the people who volunteered for the café clean-up then I saw you two talking with Hyuuga. You were too busy looking at each other's eyes that you hardly noticed him slipping away so I thought of telling you that," Hotaru replied in her usual calm tone.

Anna and Nonoko looked back at the spot they had last seen Natsume and sure enough, the crimson-eyed lad wasn't standing there. Slightly annoyed at being ignored, they pouted and Anna muttered, "He's still the same as ever though, so cold and distant."

"I wonder if Mikan would fall for him too," Nonoko muttered, still pouting.

"Maybe she already did," Hotaru smirked mischievously and both Anna and Nonoko looked at her with dubious faces with a loud, "huh?"

"Anna-chan, isn't it time for you to prepare the food? The clean-up will end in an hour at least," Hotaru inquired frankly as she dusted random furniture that was nearest to her.

"Y-yes, I'll go prepare the food now," Anna replied, alarmed at the quick pace of time. "Oh, Hotaru-chan, do you have any preferences for the food?" She said before turning away towards the kitchen.

"The Red Velvet Cupcake," Hotaru answered, still emotionless.

Anna smiled sweetly and nodded. She dragged Nonoko with her as she headed off towards the kitchen.

-;-

Natsume sighed as he clutched the mop in his hands and started moping the floor on one corner of the café, opposite the one Mikan's sweeping. Anna's squeal echoed in his mind, _"Could it be that the great playboy, Natsume Hyuuga, has learned to love one girl?" _

"Love one girl, huh?" he muttered to himself, "you've got to be kidding me."

"Hey, kid! Don't slack off the job," a tall girl with dark pink hair approached him with a dirty rag in her hands. Natsume remembered the day when that rag met his handsome face.

"I wasn't slacking off," Natsume denied, still half-heartedly moping random spots on the floor.

"Yes, you were. I saw you. You were just standing there, muttering things," Misaki pressed on.

"I don't see you working. Instead of arguing with me, why don't you use your excessive energy to help out with the food prep? That way, one of us might be a little more useful."

Misaki didn't have any comeback so she just stomped her feet and left with a _hmph!_

Natsume rolled his eyes and turned his head towards the entrance. There were three men, all wearing spiky hairstyles and tattoos all over their bodies. They had earrings pierced on their ears, noses, maybe even their tongues and they wore only black clothing—black leather jackets, black boots, black pants, black shirts. They were all scowling at the sign posted outside that said the café was closed for the day.

The one in the middle tried to push open the glass door and beamed when it wasn't locked. All three of them came striding in. Natsume caught a glimpse of Mikan, who seemed like she just noticed what was happening, trying to alert the others, especially Anna who was busy preparing the food in the kitchen.

Another employee was already on her feet and went straight to the kitchen to inform her boss after getting the signal from Mikan. The other people watched as the three men made their way towards the counter. But before they could even reach the middle, Mikan stood in their way with her arms spread out. She had a defiant look on her face as she said the words in a polite but threatening manner:

"I'm very sorry, sirs. But our café is closed today. Would you please leave immediately?"

The middle one, most probably the leader, smirked and was about to reach out to touch Mikan's face when suddenly, someone stopped him. Natsume grabbed his arm firmly just before his fingertips could even reach Mikan's soft cheeks.

"What are you—" the man started in his gruff voice.

"I'm sorry but," Natsume raised his head and smirked dangerously, "the only guy allowed to touch her," he moved swiftly, twisting the man's arm behind his back as he shrieked in pain, "is me," he finished.

"Alright, alright! Just let me go—ah! Ow, shit, that hurts!" the man yelled angrily, desperately trying to free his arm from Natsume.

"I'll let you go if you leave at once," Natsume said, twisting the man's arm more, making him shriek even louder, along with some other colorful words.

"Fine, fine! Just—for Christ's sake—let go of my arm!" the man pleaded and the moment Natsume released him, he ran off with his gang and rode their noisy motorcycles away but not without yelling, "You people are completely mental!" before disappearing.

"That was—" Mikan started as she stared outside.

"Incredible!" Anna and Nonoko praised in unison. "Natsume-kun was so cool! I didn't need to call the cops after all!" Anna continued.

"I was going to say weird but okay," Mikan continued as she grabbed the broom from the edge of a table and started sweeping again.

"I just saved your life and I don't receive even a 'thank-you'? Where are your manners, polka-dots?" Natsume complained as he edged closer towards where Mikan was sweeping.

"Hey, for all we know, those guys couldn't have been planning to do something bad to me. Maybe they were just hungry or something. Whatever, I don't owe my life to you, Hyuuga. I didn't ask for your help, you just went on and handled the guy." Mikan turned away.

"Couldn't have been planning something bad? You saw them, polka-dots. I practically smelled danger in the air around them, or maybe that was their body odor," Natsume retorted, neglecting the mop left on the tiled floor.

Mikan giggled then sighed resignedly, "pick up your mop, Hyuuga and stop whining. We'll be done in thirty minutes."

"But I'm bored," Natsume said, leaning closer and placing his chin on Mikan's shoulder as he breathed in her ear, "I need entertainment."

Mikan closed her eyes in annoyance. You could actually see the vein popping out of her forehead. She fixed her eyes in a glare as she said, "Do I look like a circus clown to you?" then she kneed him and walked away with her broom while muttering, "That's what you call entertainment."

-;-

Thirty minutes later, the whole gang gathered together on one table as they waited for the food prepared by Anna, Nonoko, and Misaki.

"Here you guys go!" Anna smiled warmly as she brought out a tray full of delicious pastries and cupcakes. Hotaru grabbed her red velvet before anyone could even think about touching it.

Next one was Nonoko who brought out the drinks. On her tray was differently sized cups filled with multicolored juices and teas.

Last one was Misaki. She brought out a tray full of candies: Lollipops, sweet and soft candy, marshmallows, mints—you name it, she's got it.

Everyone cheered and started stuffing their mouths with goodies. Mikan, on the other hand, smiled weakly but quickly excused herself from the group. Anna nodded, thinking Mikan wanted to use the washroom at the back.

Natsume's eyes followed Mikan and when she was out of his sight, he stood up and followed her.

Mikan sensed someone following her and sighed. She didn't need to turn around to know who was tailing her. She asked, "until where are you going to follow me, Hyuuga?"

"Where are you going?" Natsume asked instead.

"The washroom, why?" Mikan replied faintly.

"You sound weak," Natsume stated, moving closer.

"I don't. I'm just tired," Mikan said, "go back and enjoy the party, Hyuuga. They might get worried if they notice the two of us are missing."

"I don't mind," Natsume replied as he walked around to face Mikan but her head was lowered and her hand was massaging her forehead. "Do you have a headache?" he asked, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.

"Just a mild one," Mikan replied then she sighed feebly.

"I'll take you home," Natsume offered, holding onto Mikan's frail arms. His eyes widened when his hand made contact with her burning skin. "You…You're burning with a fever."

"Don't…" Mikan muttered. She attempted to pull away from his grasp but instead, her foot slipped and she ended up against Natsume's firm chest.

"Polka-dots," Natsume called but there was no response. He put his palm against Mikan's forehead. She was _really _burning with fever. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was ragged and she kept muttering, "need…you…stupid…go away…"

Natsume had a strong premonition that she was trying to tell him to back off and that she could handle herself. He rolled his eyes. Even when she's sick, she's still as stubborn as hell.

Ignoring her constant grumbles, Natsume picked her up—bridal style—and carried her towards his car. He said his goodbyes to the group and put Mikan into his sports car.

She was still muttering, "you…always…making me confused…I hate you…"

Natsume chuckled. She _was _thinking of him even in this state; he's one step closer to stealing her heart.

Even _if _she's always denying it, it's enough to know that she's thinking of him.

His thoughts were interrupted when, out of the blue, Mikan muttered weakly, "Nat…su…me."

His name.

She said his name.

"Mikan." He said back unknowingly.

And in her sleep, Mikan smiled.


End file.
